A Tokyo-based company, Yasu Project, introduced a mobile mosque ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, in July 2018, in the hopes of accommodating for thousands of Muslim athletes and supporters who were scheduled to come to Japan, and provide them with a quiet place for worship. With a small Muslim population, Japan offers very few mosques, especially outside of Tokyo. Prayer is an integral part of a Muslims person’s life, as they are required to pray five times a day, and so finding a quiet, secluded place to pray during the day can be a big challenge for Muslims living in Japan.

The Mobile Mosque expands into a 48m2prayer room at the back, at the push of a button in minutes. The room is equipped with air conditioning, and outdoor water taps are provided for pre-worship cleaning. It is available for use anywhere in Japan, and can be particularly useful for a large, crowded gatherings for Muslim people in the regional areas of Japan.

Moving forward, as Japan opens up its boarders again to tourists, the company seeks to accommodate for people from many countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Africa, the Middle East and, for example, refugees who are coming from Syria, and hopes it will be an integral tool to promote world peace.