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https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250917/p2a/00m/0na/016000c
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering reviewing a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project, under which four municipalities are designated as "hometowns" for African countries, after misinformation on social media led to a backlash against these cities.
The "JICA Africa Hometown" program aims to promote international exchange, but false claims such as "a large influx of immigrants is coming" have circulated online. Even though the ministry has repeatedly denied these claims, the four cities including Chiba Prefecture's Kisarazu continue to receive complaints, and there has been an incident where "No immigrants" graffiti was found inside the municipal office of one of the cities.
At a Sept. 16 press conference, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya stated, "We should reach a conclusion on the future of this project as soon as possible. As local governments are being troubled, we must respond sincerely." The ministry is considering options including abolishing the project altogether or changing its name, and will decide on future measures after consulting with the four municipalities.
A representative from one of the designated cities commented, "The term 'hometown' in the project name has caused misunderstanding, so a name change is necessary. We also want to discuss with the national government whether the project itself can continue."