A misinterpreted cooperation project with Africa has taken a xenophobic turn in Japan, exposing deep fears over a so-called "migrant influx." The controversy erupted when the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) designated four cities – Sanjo, Kisarazu, Imabari, and Nagai – as "Africa Hometown" partners for four African countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Officially announced on August 22 during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), the project aimed to boost exchanges, particularly among young people. The cities were selected because they had hosted athletes from those four countries during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Some understood the "hometown" status as a special permit scheme that would allow citizens from these African countries to work and settle long-term in the partner cities.

This led to a wave of angry reactions on social media in a country wary of immigration. In 2024, 25,000 African nationals lived in Japan, out of a total of 3.4 million foreigners. All the usual stereotypes surfaced, from fears of the Ebola virus to concerns over forced marriages in Muslim countries and claims about rising crime.

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