The Maternal Initiative Role in the Japanese Muslim Community: Japanese Muslim Wives as Mediators Between Muslim Immigrants and Japanese Society

In Japan, the rapid increase of the Muslim population started in the 1980s. From the 1980s to 2010s, the first generation of immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and, later, Indonesia formed the majority of the Muslims in Japan. Today, the Muslim community is in transition to the second generation. Japanese Muslim wives—the mothers of this second generation—have always been key actors in the development of the community. The Japanese Muslim wives are obliged to take on responsibility as mediator, negotiator, and translator for their husbands and children in business life, social life, and school life. They are also required to mediate between Islamic values and Japanese values, especially for their children. Muslim society in Japan relies on their maternal initiative role.