Anti-mosque rhetoric sparks counterprotests near Tokyo ahead of election

A fringe camp in an electoral district near Tokyo has sought to make a planned mosque a key issue in Sunday's general election, drawing criticism from citizens who say the rhetoric is fueling xenophobia and prompting them to campaign to vote out the candidate.On Jan. 29, independent newcomer Susumu Kikutake, 53, called for blocking the mosque planned in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, in a speech outside JR Fujisawa Station.Nobuyuki Suzuki, an assembly member in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward who backed Kikutake, told the crowd, "It's fine if inbound tourists visit, but it's a problem if they stay.…READ FULL ARTICLE