Overview

• JICA canceled the designation scheme after false claims on social media prompted a flood of protest calls and emails that overburdened local offices.
• The August TICAD initiative had recognized Nagai (Yamagata), Kisarazu (Chiba), Sanjo (Niigata) and Imabari (Ehime) as “hometowns” for exchanges with African countries.
• JICA President Akihiko Tanaka said immediate corrective steps were taken but daily municipal operations were being disrupted and the environment for cooperation was not ready.
• A mistaken Nigerian government announcement about special visas contributed to confusion online that miscast the exchange as an immigration program.
• Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya apologized in New York, said the “hometown” label and concept fueled domestic misunderstanding, and pledged to continue exchange support with fuller explanations to governments and the public.