Fukuoka Mosque

The Fukuoka Masjid Al Nour Islamic Culture Center (Fukuoka Mosque)(アン　ヌール　イスラム文化センター　福岡マスジド) is the first mosque on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. It is located in Hakozaki, Higashi-ku in the city of Fukuoka. It was built in 2009, and officially opened on 12 April 2009. Fukuoka Mosque aims to serve about 1,000 Muslims in Fukuoka Prefecture, as well to serve people in Japan interested in Islam.

Building description
The first floor is mainly set for the men's prayer room, the second floor is the women's prayer room. On the basement level, there is a multi-purpose hall, a library, and a kitchen. The third floor has classrooms and a kitchen..

Activities
The mosque arranges daily prayers, Friday prayers, and Eid prayers on a regular basis. It occasionally, arranges program for conversion into Islam, Muslim marriage, and funeral prayers. The cultural wing of the mosque offers weekend Arabic language lessons and cooking classes once every three months. It also arranges seminars and dialogue sessions occasionally. Due to the difficulties of obtaining halal certificates in Japan, Fukuoka Mosque has taken to issuing certifications per local scholars' fatwa. The issuance of a free certification to a local restaurant that served both halal and non-halal food was criticized by a halal certification agency due to lack of adherence to stricter standards.

History
Kyushu University Muslim Student Association (KUMSA) initiated the idea of building a mosque in 1998, and started collecting donations. In 2006, land was purchased, and a construction plan was started. After a series of discussions with concerned neighbors, the construction was started in 2008, and it was completed around a year later. After earthquakes in 2011 and 2016, Fukuoka Mosque was involved in relief efforts for affected communities.