For the thousands of Muslim athletes, officials and supporters who may arrive in Tokyo for the Olympic Games later this year, it may be an issue for them to find an appropriate place to pray. The answer might just be found roaming the streets of Tokyo on the back of a truck! By the time the Games start in July, there will be prayer rooms available at the currently under construction athlete’s village. However, some venues may not have a designated space. There is also a dearth of prayer spaces in hotels and public areas across the Japanese capital. This is where the Mobile Mosque, a fully-equipped 48-square-metre prayer room that opens up on the back of a parked truck, comes in. The back of the modified truck can be widened in seconds and the vehicle also includes Arabic signage and outdoor water taps for pre-worship cleaning.
The Yasu Project has come up with a Mobile Mosque for the thousands of Muslim athletes, officials and supporters arriving in Tokyo for the Olympic Games later this year. Yasu Project, the organisation behind the enterprise, plan on pitching up outside venues during the Olympics, which run from July 24 “ Aug. 9. The organisation’s CEO Yasuharu Inoue hopes athletes and supporters alike will use the truck. “I want athletes to compete with their utmost motivation and for the audience to cheer on with their utmost motivation as well. That is why I made this,” said Inoue, pointing to the truck. “I hope it brings awareness that there are many different people in this world and to promote a non-discriminatory, peaceful Olympics and Paralympics.” According to an investigation by Waseda University, there were 105 mosques in Japan at the end of 2018.
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