JICA Apologizes for Complaints over ‘Africa Hometown’ Plan, Says It Will Continue Other Exchange Programs

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, September 26, 2025

The president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Akihiko Tanaka, apologized at a press conference in Tokyo after the agency announced it would scrap its “Africa Hometown” initiative, which was designed to promote exchanges between four Japanese cities and partner countries in Africa.

Misinformation about the project “resulted in an excessive burden on the municipal governments. I want to offer an apology once again,” Tanaka said Thursday. He also sought understanding for JICA’s efforts, saying, “Promoting international exchange will further Japan’s long-term national interests.”

Tanaka cited a deluge of complaints to the four designated hometowns — Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture; Nagai, Yamagata Prefecture; Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture; and Imabari, Ehime Prefecture — as the reason for canceling the program. The complaints affected the cities’ daily operations and made conditions less conducive to peaceful and beneficial exchanges, he said.

JICA will not undertake similar programs that designate specific municipalities in the future. However, it will continue to support projects that promote international exchange.

Although the hometown initiative would not have taken in immigrants or issued special visas, the Nigerian government mistakenly announced that special visas would be issued. Some African media even incorrectly reported that Nagai was being “dedicated” to Tanzania.

While the reports were amended following requests from Japan, misinformation continued to circulate on social media. This included videos allegedly showing a foreigner committing a crime, accompanied by one comment asking, “Is this the future of the hometown project?” and a claim that residents would “bear the burden of foreigners’ social security costs.”

That caused a mass influx of complaints to the four municipalities via phone and email.

Mired in complaints

The four cities, which were inundated with phone calls from people making inaccurate complaints, also saw the impacts such as their other international exchange projects being canceled.

Ghanian government officials were scheduled to visit Sanjo to learn agricultural techniques late this month, but JICA informed the city that the visit was canceled. The municipality reported receiving about 9,000 phone calls and emails demanding that they end the initiative and reject immigrants.

Kisarazu received about 13,000 phone calls and related inquiries, with messages like, “Will there be large numbers of migrants coming?”

Complaints continued to stream in even after these claims were reported to be false.

“[This project] could have been an opportunity for an exchange that would have benefited our future,” a city official said.

Imabari, for its part, had just begun distributing a public relations bulletin featuring an article that explained the purpose of the hometown initiative.

Anti-immigrant graffiti was also found in a city hall restroom, and a protest march was held near the city office, according to the city.

Meanwhile, Nagai has decided to continue its existing exchanges. The city has maintained ties with Tanzania for nearly a decade, having served as its host town during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Tanzanian athletes have run in the city’s marathon alongside locals.

“While the cancellation is regrettable,” said Mayor Shigeharu Uchiya, “we intend to continue our grassroots efforts at exchange with the support of our residents.”