Sayed Sharara, an Egyptian university professor living in Japan, said about the event: In June 2000, the Tokyo Grand Mosque was opened on the same site as the historic mosque that was built in 1938.
He added, “This year, I attended two ceremonies to mark the 25th anniversary of the opening of the mosque, which were opened by Turkey’s ambassador and its cultural counselor in Japan.”
The first exhibition was held in June 2025 and featured historical photographs of the old and new mosques, and a documentary film about Abdul Rashid Ibrahim, the first imam of the Tokyo Mosque and a pivotal figure in the history of Japanese Muslims in the first half of the 20th century, he said.
The second event was held recently. The event included an exhibition of the same photographs as well as a conference where professors from Turkish and Japanese universities discussed topics related to mosques in Japan historically, including a rare photograph of the Nagoya Mosque, the third oldest mosque in Japan alongside the Kobe Mosque and the Tokyo Mosque. Lectures were also given on its history and architecture.
According to the Egyptian professor, the photographs provide complete documentation of the exhibition, including scenes from the documentary film, lectures and interaction with the audience.