NARA INSTITUTE of SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY
Other (Support for Studies and Daily Life)
For Muslim Students
NAIST provides rest and meditation rooms that can also be used as prayer spaces in the Biological Science (BS) and Materials Science (MS) buildings. For exact locations, please consult other Muslim students, faculty, or the Center for International Students and Scholars (CISS) .
Jum`ah (Friday) Prayer is usually held on campus, mostly at the Sentan Guesthouse Assembly Room, from 12:45 to 13:30. You can ask other Muslim students to add you to the chat group for details.
In Japan, prayer rooms and masjids are more common in larger cities such as Osaka and Kobe. Tourist information centers, large shopping malls, and halal restaurants often provide prayer spaces, especially near popular tourist destinations. For more information about facilities and services for Muslim in Japan, please check the provided URLs and use Google Maps to find exact locations.
There is no Halal-certified food service in the campus cafeteria. However, the cafeteria offers a Muslim-friendly menu, including items such as udon, soba, rice with egg, and fish. Please note that kitchen utensils and cutlery are washed together, so we ask that you eat at your own discretion.
In addition, Daily Yamazaki, the convenience store on campus, sells a selection of Halal products, including Halal cup noodles, snacks and frozen Halal meat/food items.
There are also self-organized Halal bento services available on campus. These are prepared independently, so please ask Muslim students or faculty members to add you to the relevant chat group for more information.
In Japan, restaurants generally fall into two categories for Muslim diners: Halal-certified restaurants and Muslim-friendly restaurants.
Halal-certified restaurants are approved by the Halal Certification Body Japan.
Muslim-friendly restaurants typically do not use haram ingredients (such as pork or alcohol) in their meals, or they may use Halal ingredients but still serve alcoholic beverages. Please use your own discretion when dining at these establishments.
For more information on Halal food options, please refer to the following URLs:
- NAHA (Nippon Asia Halal Association) Facebook page (in English)
- Halal Media Japan (List of Halal restaurants/bento services/online stores in Japan)
- Taste and Discover Japan (Halal bento service that delivers anywhere in Japan)
Please refer to the following URLs for information on online Halal shop.
In the Ikoma City area, some Muslim students and scholars shop at Gyomu Super, a chain of bulk food supermarkets that offers some Halal products, as well as Costco, the American wholesale store that also carries Halal food items. These stores are located roughly a 30-min drive from NAIST.