TOKYO: Japanese cities have been flooded with complaints from residents confused about an initiative designating them as hometowns for African countries.
The confusion arose after false claims circulated that this was a new immigration policy by the Japanese government.
The initiative by the Japan International Cooperation Agency aimed to promote international exchanges between four Japanese cities and African nations.
This prompted the Nigerian government to issue a statement suggesting Tokyo would create a special visa category.
Some media reports and online posts falsely claimed the programme was designed for immigration settlement in Japan.
One social media post claiming Kisarazu city was considering handing over the city to Africans received 4.6 million views.
Top Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi stated on Tuesday that such claims were completely baseless.
He told reporters there are no plans to promote accepting immigrants or issue special visas.
Foreigners currently make up just three percent of Japan’s workforce amid ongoing political debates about immigration.
The anti-immigration Sanseito party recently made strong gains with calls for stricter rules and limits on immigration.
The four cities involved – Kisarazu, Sanjo, Imabari and Nagai – received thousands of complaints from confused residents.
A Sanjo City official said their team of 15 officials spent a whole day handling hundreds of phone calls and thousands of emails.
The northern city has received 350 phone calls and 3,500 emails since Monday alone.
Imabari city in western Japan received 460 calls and 1,400 emails from anxious residents asking about immigration policy.
The mayors of all four cities issued statements denying the false claims about the initiative.
Kisarazu Mayor Yoshikuni Watanabe clarified that their initiatives involve educational cooperation through baseball and softball.
He emphasised that the programme does not involve relocation or immigration arrangements.
A Kisarazu city official reported that phones had been ringing non-stop due to resident concerns.
Residents remain confused about which government statements to believe regarding the programme.
The African hometowns initiative was launched by JICA during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development last week. – AFP
