Overview

• Multiple sources say the aid agency is considering scrapping the program after a wave of protests and complaints to designated cities.
• Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said officials are conferring with JICA, the Foreign Ministry and the four municipalities to reach a prompt decision.
• The initiative paired Imabari with Mozambique, Kisarazu with Nigeria, Nagai with Tanzania, and Sanjo with Ghana.
• A Nigerian government notice said Japan would create a special visa for young Nigerians to move to Kisarazu, which Tokyo denied and asked to be corrected.
• City offices reported heavy call and email volumes claiming the effort would drive African migration and hurt public order, highlighting tensions over immigration as Japan expands specified skilled worker programs.