Japan’s growing Muslim population is struggling to find new burial sites, with some local governments reluctant to allocate land for Muslim cemeteries, according to local media.

While Japanese law does not ban ground burials, the decision is left to local governments and cremation is the norm.

More than 99.9% of cemeteries in Japan exclusively conduct cremations, a practice strictly forbidden in Islam.

As of early 2024, Japan’s Muslim population was estimated at 350,000, and as of June 2024, the country was home to 150 mosques.