JICA Withdraws “Hometown” Initiative with African Countries

Tokyo, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)–The Japan International Cooperation Agency on Thursday announced the withdrawal of its “hometown” initiative, which aimed to promote people-to-people exchanges between African countries and their partner Japanese cities. The decision came after the Japanese cities were flooded with protests over false information on social media claiming that the initiative would lead to an increase in immigration. At a press conference on the day, JICA President Akihiko Tanaka admitted that the term “hometown,” as well as the initiative’s concept, caused “misunderstanding and confusion.” JICA decided to withdraw the initiative because “the environment for our intended beneficial exchanges was being undermined,” Tanaka explained. “It’s not that we’ve yielded to wrong views,” he emphasized. “We’ll consult with related local governments to create a situation where beneficial and enjoyable international exchanges can be held,” the JICA head said. When the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or TICAD 9, was held in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, in August, JICA designated four partnerships under the initiative, matching Tanzania with Nagai, Yamagata Prefecture, Ghana with Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture, Nigeria with Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, and Mozambique with Imabari, Ehime Prefecture. However, the initiative provoked a backlash on social media after the Nigerian government mistakenly announced that the Japanese government would issue special visas for Nigerians. JICA and the Foreign Ministry tried to calm the situation, but they failed. Following JICA’s withdrawal announcement, the mayors of the four Japanese cities issued a joint statement affirming their commitment to developing their municipalities. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]