Mobile Mosques: Coming To A Sporting Event Near You
The organizers of the upcoming 2020 Olympics in Japan want to ensure that visitors from around the world feel welcomed in their capital. That’s why they’re offering an alternative, easily accessible place for worship to the expected Muslim crowds.
Japanese event company, Yasu Project, developed a mobile mosque that will travel throughout the multiple Olympic stadiums. The mosque on wheels is located inside a 25-ton truck, with enough room to fit up to 50 people. It is also equipped with an outdoor rinse station, so that users can participate in a pre-worship cleanse.
The purpose of the truck is to emphasize cultural inclusion. In a recent interview, CEO of Yasu Project, Yasuharu Inoue, explained, “As an open and hospitable country, we want to share the idea of ‘omotenashi’ (Japanese hospitality) with Muslim people.”
The Yasu Project sees this as an opportunity to fill a prominent gap in the religious infrastructure. With increased tourism and limited public space, we can expect more solutions popping up around the world for increased mobile worship.
