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ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS 
This chapter focuses on how the Concept of Al-ta’āruf  is internalised in the 
Cultural Exchange Programme, how the concept shaped the experiences of the Japanese 
Muslim youth enrolled in the Cultural Exchange Programme and presents reasons for 
the impact of the Cultural Exchange Programme on the Japanese Muslim youth. Section 
4.1 presents the experiences of eminent Japanese Muslims interacting with practising 
Muslims; Section 4.2 presents the mission of the Cultural Exchange Programme; 
Section 4.3 maps the Concept of Al-ta’āruf  against the activities carried out during the 
Cultural Exchange Programme, by presenting the seven stages of Al-ta’āruf  
(Tahāwur, Ta-’arūf , Ta-’āyush, Tasāmuh, Tabādul, Ta-’akhī, and Al-ta’ayush Al-
Silmīyy); and Section 4.4 maps the five domains of human connection (Physical, 
Intellectual, Emotional, Cultural, and Spiritual) tied to Al-ta’āruf  within the Cultural 
Exchange Programme. 
4.1 Experiences of Eminent Japanese Muslims Interacting With Practising 
Muslims 
Let us begin by looking at how personal experience interacting with practising 
Muslims in a majority Muslim country has influenced the understanding of Islam and 
da’wah commitment of Hajj Kyoichiro Sugimoto, the present Chairman of the Chiba 
Islamic Cultural Centre. When he was 19 years old, Hajj Sugimoto accepted a personal 
invitation from a good friend of his to visit the latter's village in Bangladesh. Hajj 
Sugimoto stayed there for about a week. The villagers were so hospitable that by the 
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end of his short stay, the kindness and generosity of the entire Muslim neighbourhood 
had left an indelible impression on his heart: 
They were poor but so warm and welcoming. Everyone invited me to 
their homes and served me the best food they had, despite having so little 
(Personal Communication, 3 December, 2017) 
Friday came. Hajj Sugimoto's friend disappeared for a few hours without any 
explanation. When Hajj Sugimoto enquired where he was, his friend said that he went 
for Friday prayers. Hajj Sugimoto asked if he could follow him the following Friday, to 
which his friend consented. During Friday prayers, Hajj Sugimoto followed the 
movements without understanding a word or action, but the warm brotherhood and the 
welcoming atmosphere he felt in the masjid interacting with other Muslims left a 
powerful, positive impression on him. He also became curious about the Qur'an: 
Later, I began to read a copy of the Qur'an. I read about Jannah (Paradise) 
and Jahannam (Hell) and I began to think: "What if these are true?" 
(Personal Communication, 3 December, 2017) 
Thus, began Hajj Sugimoto's introduction to Islam. Consequently, the researcher 
discovered that Hajj Sugimoto was not the only notable Japanese Muslim who 
embraced Islam following the memorable experience of interactions with Muslim 
families. The story of how two other Japanese men - Sulaiman Akira Hamanaka and 
Umar Mita - reverted to Islam were comparable to that of Sugimoto's. Sulaiman Akira 
Hamanaka, an eminent ethnic Japanese Muslim revert became a Muslim at the age of 
19. Like Sugimoto, Hamanaka's journey to Islam did not begin by attending a lecture 
about Islam. Hamanaka travelled to Indonesia as he was a big fan of Indonesian and 
Malaysian badminton players. In Indonesia, he stayed with an Indonesian Muslim 
family for a short time to learn more about their culture. Hamanaka observed that the 
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entire family would pray behind their father and dinner was a special time when the 
family would discuss all sorts of matters. The strong family bond captured Hamanaka's 
curiosity. The strong community spirit among Indonesian Muslims did not escape his 
attention either. Hamanaka also visited Singapore and observed similar practices in the 
Muslim family as well as the Muslim community which hosted him there (Japanese 
Muslims, 2013). Hamanaka later returned to Japan, remained a dedicated Muslim and 
built a mosque in Niihama prefecture. 
Likewise, the late Umar Mita also embraced Islam after positive interactions 
with Muslims. According to Marimoto (1980), Umar Mita, an ethnic Japanese revert 
and the first Muslim to translate the Arabic Qur'an into Japanese, travelled to China at 
a young age. Umar Mita interacted with the Chinese Muslims in China and it was this 
change in environment and intense intercultural experience that left such a strong 
impression on him, leading him to become a committed Muslim later. However, unlike 
Hamanaka and Sugimoto, Umar Mita lived among the Chinese Muslims for a long 
period of time. For the record, Hamanaka and Umar Mita were not strangers. As a 
child, Hamanaka often visited Umar Mita who was then in his eighties in Tokyo. Back 
then, Mita San used to encourage Hamanaka to strive in the path of Allah, even 
though Hamanaka was still very young and yet to be a Muslim (Japanese Muslims, 
2013). Thus, the documented reports of dynamic, eminent and committed Japanese 
Muslims, namely Umar Mita, Sulaiman Akira Hamanaka and Hajj Sugimoto showed 
that personal experience through intercultural interactions with practising Muslims has 
the potential to leave positive, lasting impressions on the mad’u. 
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4.2 The Mission of The Cultural Exchange Programme 
According to the NPO homepage, the purpose of the Chiba Islamic Cultural 
Centre as a corporation "is to contribute to the realization of international peace and 
security by carrying out projects to promote cultural exchange and friendship between 
Japan and Islamic countries, mainly for residents in Chiba Prefecture and its 
surrounding areas" (NPO homepage, 2020). Indeed, this is in line with the purpose of 
the Cultural Exchange Programme. When the researcher asked what his expectations 
were for the Cultural Exchange Programme before it started, Hajj Sugimoto's response 
was short but concise: 
(That the) youth will be self-motivated in learning [. . .]  
(Personal Communication, 3 December, 2017) 
Co-organiser of the Cultural Exchange Programme from Malaysia, Haji Ahmad 
Fakhri Hamzah said: 
A major issue for the Japanese Muslims is a serious lack of resources for 
Islamic education, especially for the youth. We need a paradigm shift 
from the typical youth conferences in which participants sit and listen to 
the teacher with little or no interaction [. . .] (Personal Communication, 
30 August, 2019) 
To the researcher, the fact that Umar Mita, Hamanaka and Hajj Sugimoto all 
reverted to Islam and became committed to da’wah in Islam after 1) a change in 
environment and 2) direct exposure to practising Muslim families suggested that the 
intercultural interaction approach has a good chance to work. After all, Allah declares, 
"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you 
into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. . ." (Al-Qur'an. Al-Hujurāt. 
49:13). To the researcher, this verse proved that the intercultural approach was a 
worthwhile endeavour to pursue if only a roadmap, a structure to the Al-ta’āruf  
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Concept could be drawn up. Islam after all is a way of life and permeates every aspect 
of a Muslim's life. Such was the mission of The Cultural Exchange Programme: To 
touch the hearts and minds of the Japanese Muslim youth. The Japanese Muslim youth 
would observe and experience what it means to be a practising Muslim in multicultural 
Malaysia. It would be an experiential programme through and through. After more 
discussions, an agreement was reached to run the Japan-Malaysia Youth Cultural 
Exchange Programme in August 2019, with CICC as the official organiser 
representing Japan, and the researcher and her spouse of MyriadVentures Enterprise as 
co-organisers representing Malaysia. 
4.3 The Application of The Concept of Al-ta’āruf  to The Cultural Exchange 
Programme 
This section presents the analysis of the results relating to the experience of the 
Japanese Muslim youth enrolled in the Cultural Exchange Programme. To achieve this, 
the section is divided into subsections: section 4.3.1) Tahāwur (dialogue); section 4.3.2) 
Ta-’arūf  (mutually knowing, mutually interacting); section 4.3.3) Ta-’āyush (to 
coexist); section 4.3.4) Tasāmuh (tolerate each other’s differences; section 4.3.5) 
Tabādul (exchange of ideas); section 4.3.6) Ta-’akhī (to associate as brother); and 
section 4.3.7) Al-Ta-’āyush Al-Silmīyy (to coexist in peace and harmony). 
 Tahāwur (Dialogue) 
The initial stage of the Al-ta’āruf  process in the present study started in 
December 2017 when the researcher and her spouse met Hajj Sugimoto of the Chiba 
Islamic Cultural Centre at the Shizuoka Mosque in Japan. To counter Islamophobia 
(Takahashi, 2018 & Ghazali, 2016), mosques in Japan were and still are used to voice 
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out support against terrorism (Yamagata, 2019) and the Shizuoka Mosque was no 
different. Traveling together with a group of Malaysian educators, the researcher and 
her spouse were keen to explore the Japanese way of raising children. Halfway 
through, the trip brought them to the mosque to do their noon prayers. In Malaysia, 
the word "mosque" conjures an image of a huge building where Muslims worship, but 
the Shizuoka Mosque, the researcher observed, was a small apartment, approximately 
measuring 700 square feet only. There was only one little toilet; everyone had to 
queue to take their wudhu' (ablution) when prayer time came. It was a tight squeeze 
for everyone present. After prayers, the researcher observed a tall man who stood up 
and introduced himself as Hajj Kyoichiro Sugimoto, Chairman of the Chiba Islamic 
Cultural Centre or CICC for short. He wanted to brief the guests about the Muslim 
community in Japan. What he shared shocked the audience. He said, "Nine out of ten 
Japanese Muslim youth opt not to practice the Muslim faith as adults [. . .]" 
(Sugimoto, 2017). Although there is no statistic at present to support the "nine out of 
ten" claim made by Hajj Sugimoto, Mutiara (2017) stated that indeed many Japanese 
youth do not practice Islam due to a lack of proper education in Islamic subjects, 
strong peer influence and huge societal pressure to conform. 
Following the initial meeting at Shizuoka Mosque, the researcher and her spouse 
visited the Chiba Islamic Cultural Centre twice and on both occasions, they presented 
parenting talks to the Muslim community there. During these sessions, the researcher 
had the opportunity to meet other Japanese Muslim parents, who shared the enormous 
challenges they faced in raising their children as Muslims in Japan. What transpired 
next was a series of discussions between the researcher, her spouse and Hajj Sugimoto. 
Early in the discussions, Hajj Sugimoto expressed his openness for another approach to 
educate the Japanese Muslim youth. According to him, he had brought his own teenage 
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son to conferences abroad but the latter did not seem to learn anything. As a 
consequence, Hajj Sugimoto himself was not keen to try running a typical youth 
conference for the Japanese Muslim youth. The lessons from such conferences, based 
on his past experiences, had failed to stick, as far as his son was concerned. 
As parents who had children living in minority Muslim communities in different 
parts of the world, the researcher and her spouse understood the concern. Like the 
Japanese Muslim parents, the researcher, too wanted her children and grandchildren to 
consciously choose to lead the Muslim way of life. As a student in America years ago, 
she had witnessed and heard of Godless lives gone awry. Drugs, substance abuse, sexual 
orgies, unwed pregnancies, alcoholism are just some of the issues some youth fall prey 
into without a solid grounding in religious values. 
As highlighted by Kurucan & Erol (2012), tahāwur, having a dialogue, is a 
critical component in realising mutual cooperation and understanding as well as respect 
among all groups intent to achieve certain goals and objectives. Interactions through 
tahāwur (dialogue) lead to consultation before forming opinions; we seek to find ways 
to cooperate (Elius et. al., 2019). In other words, tahāwur opens the door to ta-’arūf . 
Tahāwur here refers to a friendly conversation to build rapport and trust, which makes 
all sides feel encouraged and supported, and to proactively avoid potential 
misunderstandings. Dialogue and negotiations must take place before sealing a clear 
understanding between two parties (Al-Mubarakpuri, 1996); this was what happened 
next. So positive was the experience of the researcher and her spouse in dealing with 
Hajj Sugimoto of the Chiba Islamic Cultural Centre that upon their return to Malaysia, 
the researcher and her spouse continued to communicate with him. The researcher 
vividly recalls the moment the idea for the Cultural Exchange Programme came up. It 
was midmorning in Kuala Lumpur. The researcher and her spouse listened carefully to 
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the faraway voice of Hajj Sugimoto from Chiba, Japan, as he explained the issues 
faced by the Muslim families in Japan, in particular, the challenge of providing an 
Islamic education for their children and youth. At first, the idea of conducting a youth 
conference in Malaysia came up, to which Sugimoto replied: 
I don't know if having a youth conference is a good idea . . . I brought 
my son to conferences in the past . . . even to New York. All he could 
recall were the food and games [. . .] (Personal Communication, 4 
March, 2019) 
To the researcher, the reference to "food and games" by Hajj Sugimoto implied 
that what Hajj Sugimoto's son appreciated most was the experiential, intercultural 
dimension, which suggested that what was worth considering was to design an 
intercultural programme in which Islamic education is infused in the cultural 
experiences - food, games and other cultural aspects included. The thought of 
delicious food and games combined gave the researcher the idea of organising a cultural 
exchange programme, in which the Japanese Muslim youth come to Malaysia for a 
period of time to stay with Muslim families. Essentially, it means taking these youth 
out from Japan, and immersing them in a different environment, to let them experience 
first-hand what living as a Muslim means here in Malaysia. 
The idea of a cultural exchange programme was then raised by Hajj Sugimoto to 
the committee members of the Chiba Islamic Cultural Centre and upon due deliberation, 
they agreed to take it up. An important issue was finance. Who would pay for the return 
flight, accommodation, food and beverages, and incidentals e.g. entrance tickets to 
places of interest? It was decided that the families of the Japanese Muslim youth 
would cover the flight and other costs incurred in Japan, while the host parents would 
be covering all costs incurred in Malaysia. In effect, no external sponsor was needed 
to cover costs. As shown, the Japan-Malaysia Youth Cultural Exchange Programme 
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2019 began with purposeful discussions between the researcher, her spouse, and the 
Japanese side (CICC or Chiba Islamic Cultural Centre as official organiser) in March 
2019. Were it not for the many detailed discussions between the researcher and the 
CICC, this programme would not have been designed as it had been. 
 Ta-‘arūf (Mutually Knowing, Mutually Interacting) 
To attain social cohesiveness, Mhd Sarif (2019) emphasised the importance of 
establishing ta-’arūf  right from the start, since ta-’arūf  is a key feature of ukhuwwah, 
a genuine concern and love for one Muslim to another, interpreted as strategic 
bonding between Muslims. As posited by Ahmad (2012), this kind of strategic 
bonding has nothing to do with lineage or ethnicity but is purely based on `aqidah. 
From this angle, since the Japanese youth and host parents had never met each other, it 
was important to start with the right footing and make a first positive impression, which 
the host parents did. 
Based on the researcher's observation, by the time she arrived at the airport on 
the morning the first Japanese Muslim youth were due to land at Kuala Lumpur 
International Airport (KLIA), the host parents were already there ahead of schedule, an 
indication of their eagerness. A host parent was heard commenting that she was 
"nervous and excited at the same time." One by one the much-awaited Japanese youth 
appeared at the entrance. One of the Japanese youths was delayed at the immigration 
for about an hour, but nobody complained, everyone waited patiently. As the last 
Japanese youth appeared, everyone cheered and clapped, and the researcher saw the 
host parents stepping forward to welcome him. By this time, the interpreters from 
salamnihon were busy on hand to help out with the communication between host 
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parents and youth. There were smiles all round. Someone raised the welcoming banner, 
photos were taken and then the host parents brought the youth home. 
During the Welcoming Dinner later in the evening, the researcher observed that 
at first the Japanese youth seemed to keep to themselves and were rather reserved. The 
host had set up a char koay-teow (Malaysian local dish of Chinese origin) stall with a 
chef who prepared the dish fresh. From their gestures and facial expressions, the 
Japanese youth seemed amused with the fire billowing under the pan and broke into 
what sounded like excited chatter. In no time, the researcher saw them queueing for the 
delicious dish, and sitting down and bantering with each other. By then, they looked 
quite relaxed and nobody kept to himself. The researcher saw that some of them went 
for seconds. Other dishes were also served to whet everyone's appetite. What the 
researcher saw confirmed the study done by Seki (2016), that with meticulous planning 
and execution, incoming youth would have minimum culture shock, thereby 
maximising the benefits and effectiveness of the cultural exchange programme. 
Malaysia is a multiethnic, multireligious and multiracial country. The host parents 
and families in the Japan-Malaysia Youth Cultural Exchange Programme 2019 
originated from different ethnic backgrounds including Pakistani, mixed Chinese- 
Malay and Indian parentage. However, since these host parents were born and bred in 
Malaysia, they were uniquely Malaysian, to the delight of the Japanese youth. From 
the feedback given by the participants, it appeared that the host parents and families 
provided a sufficiently immersive intercultural experience for these youth. A 
sufficiently immersive intercultural experience, even short-term, can transform lives, 
and is not just about changing locations (Crawford, 2017). An example of an immersive, 
intercultural experience that took place in the present study is how the Malaysian 
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Muslim hosts treat participants with good food by serving different ethnic cuisines, a 
positive experience mentioned by participant Riku: 
I would like to be as friendly like Malaysians [. . .]   
(Online Interview,  30 August, 2019). 
Riku's host parents who came from Pakistani-Indian parentage feted the Japanese 
youth with Pakistani-Indian cuisines. Likewise, the host parents with Malay 
background served Malay foods. At meal times, the Malaysian hosts made sure the 
Japanese youth were feted well, they were not left alone by themselves, as evidenced 
from the photos that the host parents showed to the researcher. 
As a minority in their home country, the Japanese youth's self-esteem has been 
affected (Hutnik, 1991), and eventually they might either assimilate or acculturate 
with the majority (Hutnik, 2003) but in Malaysia it was a fresh experience meant to 
raise the way they perceive themselves. The Cultural Exchange Programme was 
meant to increase their self-esteem as Muslims. They begin to see that life is much 
more than choosing between being Muslim and Japanese; one could be both, so long 
as Islam is observed. Direct, face-to-face interactions with their hosts exposed the 
Japanese youth to the hosts' culture. From the numerous photos and comments shared 
by the host parents in the Japan-Malaysia Youth Cultural Exchange Programme 
whatsapp group, the researcher observed that the Japanese youth were accompanied 
by their host parents and family members, chauffeured at all times by their host family 
everywhere they went. All week, they communicated and interacted with their host 
parents and other family members and witnessed the lifestyle of the hosts; what it 
meant to live as Muslims. The Japanese youth saw that members of their host families 
were both Muslim and Malaysian. Just like the observant Muslim minority youth in 
Britain who discovered that having a strong Muslim identity strengthened their 
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commitment to be positive British citizens (Shazhadi et. al., 2017), participant Marisi 
found that the Cultural Exchange Experience had brought her closer to her Islamic 
roots: 
Liked experience of Islamic culture [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 
August, 2019) 
Several of the host parents also introduced some basic Malay words to the 
Japanese youth, to the delight of the youth. Participant Marisi said: 
[I] like Malay culture, country is unique, taught Malay language (Online 
Interview, 30 August 2019) 
Likewise, at the final evening gathering which was attended by all Japanese youth 
and host families, participant Kawai declared in front of everyone: 
Umur saya 17 tahun (I am 17 years old) [. . .] (Farewell Dinner, 23 
August, 2019) 
Even though participant Kawai spoke only some words of Malay, the fact that 
he did utter these words appear to support findings by Kinginger et. al. (2016) that 
short- term homestays can leave a lasting impact in terms of language and culture 
learning, and that students can recognise and understand at least certain words within 
a short period of time (Reynolds-Case, 2013). 
At the end of the programme, the personal touch, kindness and care shown by the 
host parents had left a lasting impression upon the young minds. Furthermore, the 
Japanese youth appreciated that their host families had children of the same age group. 
As participant Daiki put it: 
[Learnt] how to interact with Muslims of the same age [. . .]   
(Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
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Similar feedback was given by Tokuda, another male participant: 
There were many people of the same age and it was fun [. . .]   
(Online  Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
The youth enjoyed such interactions and asked for more. Seeking interaction 
with peers is an indication of growing confidence, a positive consequence of an 
intercultural experience and exposure (Costas & Singco, 2016), which was also 
mentioned by participant Kawai: 
I wanted more opportunities for interaction [. . .]   
(Online Interview, 30   August, 2019) 
Despite a packed schedule, the Japanese youth found it engaging, as participant 
Tatsuki wrote: 
It was a lot of fun [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Halal food that was easily available, having Muslim friends of the same age, 
with whom they could talk to and get along with, were some of the everyday things 
Malaysian Muslim youth take for granted in Malaysia, but were new experiences to 
the Japanese Muslim youth. For many of them, they were the only Muslim in school. 
Culture, of course, is not just about foods, it is also about how the host family 
members relate to one another, how they dress, what time they wake up, how they talk 
to one another, how they respond to specific situations - these are all examples of 
Malaysian Muslim culture which were new to the Japanese Muslim youth. What the 
Japanese youth remembered most was the hospitality, the caring and kind treatments 
they received from their host parents and families. 
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 Ta-‘āyush (To Coexist) 
Al-Tuwaijiri (1998, cited in Ramli et. al., 2018) propagates the Concept of Ta- 
‘āyush specifically within the context of social communications between peoples of 
different religions, cultures and civilisations as fundamental to creating universal 
peace, something that was already practised by the Prophet SAW centuries ago. If ta-
’āyush is the stance that Muslims are supposed to adopt when dealing with non-
Muslims, certainly Muslims of different ethnic cultures and civilisations deserve to be 
treated with equal respect and consideration, if not better. 
Based on the researcher's observation, during the present study, there was a 
tendency for the youth to keep to their own kind: Malaysians with Malaysians and 
Japanese with Japanese, especially in the mornings. The researcher observed that the 
host parents did what was necessary to break the ice to promote ta-’āyush among these 
two groups. For example, on day two of the Cultural Exchange Programme, upon arrival 
in Rawang, during the first quarter hour, the Malaysian youth kept to their own group 
and similarly, the Japanese youth kept to their own group. The researcher observed two 
host fathers taking action, splitting the youth into smaller groups with each group 
deliberately consisting of both Malaysians and Japanese, to create the opportunity for 
them to work together and communicate with one another better. Such an action is 
important as groups and relationships are particularly significant for the Japanese 
(Sugimura et. al., 2015). Thereafter, the Japanese and Malaysian youth spent an entire 
morning together to cook special Malaysian dishes. The four interpreters moved from 
group to group regularly to see if anyone needed interpreting. Each smaller group had 
a specific task e.g. slicing onions and vegetables. The researcher also observed that 
the host parents made sure that the tasks were rotated between these smaller groups so 
that everyone had the chance to do different tasks and not kept at one single task the 
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entire morning e.g. deep-frying chicken. The researcher saw that all the youth, 
Malaysian and Japanese, looked at ease slicing the ingredients, washing them clean, 
frying the chicken in a huge wok, preparing the curry and salad, and after all the cooking 
was done, putting the prepared foods into containers for the asnaf. 
The researcher also observed that when the time came to deliver the food to the 
asnaf, who lived in several different locations in the area, all of the youth, Japanese and 
Malaysian, got off their host parents' vehicles and eagerly handed the gifts over 
themselves. From the researcher's observations, the youth liked this activity thoroughly; 
it was mentioned as one of the things that they enjoyed during the programme, as 
noted by participant Marisi: 
feelings of caring for people . . . experienced cooking for poor people 
and handing the food over [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Marisi was not the only one who commented on the experience of preparing and 
delivering food to the poor. The same sentiment was expressed by participant Haruto: 
cook and give [to] poor people (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Such feedback proved the importance of instilling positive human interactions in 
a cultural exchange programme, even if the participants did not state such an 
expectation up front when they signed up for the programme (Hommadova & Mita, 
2016). 
Because these Japanese Muslim youth were born and bred in Japan, they did not 
have the issue of language communication back home in Japan, unlike non-Japanese 
Muslims (Yuki, 2018), yet it must be said that most of the Japanese Muslim youth did 
not have Muslim friends there. It would be unfortunate if they feel they had to choose 
between being "Muslim" or "Japanese", having an identity crisis, pretending they are 
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not Muslim (Aaser, 2016), going through an emotional roller coaster (Mydin et. al, 
2013) as they need to learn that it is possible to have dual identities i.e. Muslim and 
Japanese (Shazhadi et. al., 2017). Having parents who came from a different generation 
would naturally raise intergenerational issues, too (Lynch, 2013, Jacob, 2017 & 
Kalmijn, 2018). Thus, making friends with the Malaysian youth was a positive and 
encouraging experience for them. 
The quality of human interactions can make or break an intercultural exchange 
programme (Hommadova & Mita, 2016). Throughout the Cultural Exchange 
Programme, as these youth made more Muslim friends, they gained insights on how to 
live as Muslims in future. The Japanese youth learnt that no matter who you are and 
where you live, respect and consideration are crucial elements for peace and harmony 
in yourself and within the community. 
For the Japanese youth, opportunities existed for Al-ta’āruf  related to three 
levels of relationships; namely: 
1. Japanese youth-Japanese youth 
2. Japanese youth-host parent 
3. Japanese youth-Malaysian youth (teenagers/young adults who were children of 
the host parents) 
Diversity, the Japanese Muslim youth began to see, is a beautiful thing and could 
be a source of strength and unity for a community. Therefore, the Japanese Muslim 
youth realised that they being different from the majority in Japan has the potential of 
bringing much good to Japan, their birth country. Throughout the entire week, the 
Japanese Muslim youth learned to coexist with each other and their host parents and 
families, as well as observed how multiracial and multireligious Malaysians coexist 
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with one another; a crucial component of success in diversity. As participant Tatsuki 
remarked: 
Love and Respect is a very important key word in this country . . . and 
this is the secret to the successful realization of a multi-ethnic nation [. . 
.] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
The Japanese Muslim youth saw peoples of multiracial and multireligious 
backgrounds working together for a common cause e.g. at the National Heart Institute, 
which sparked the comment from participant Riku: 
(Malaysian) diversity, living together . . . impressed with Malaysia 
(Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
What enabled multicultural, multireligious Malaysia to thrive in a diverse 
society was, as participant Kawai put it: 
cooperation, cooperation (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
At the most basic level, although the Japanese youth were Muslims, they were 
born and raised in a different cultural environment, and naturally were used to 
different ways of doing things. Still, they sensed the warmth of the Malaysian hosts. 
The Japanese youth felt appreciated and respected, and they reciprocated by being 
fully cooperative throughout the programme. The Japanese youth learnt that to make 
things work, people have to transcend beyond their differences. 
 Tasāmuh (Tolerate Each Other’s Differences) 
The ability to accept and respect others who hail from different backgrounds, 
being lenient, kind and generous even to those perceived as different from us, is a key 
feature of tasāmuh (Khambali et. al., 2017, cited by Abdul Ghani & Awang, 2020). 
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Furthermore, the level of tolerance that is propagated in Islam is higher than anything 
that came before it ('Imarah, 2014). Such is the beauty of tasāmuh in Islam, which is a 
value that the Cultural Exchange Programme tried to emulate, considering that the 
participants and host parents/families came from different nations and cultures, 
although they were all Muslims. 
By the end of the second day, the researcher observed that language was a notable 
difference and still a challenge, as the majority of the Japanese youth were fluent in 
Japanese only. Although the communication gap was expected, initially it was thought 
that having four fulltime interpreters would be sufficient. But it became quickly obvious 
that this was not the case. The researcher even heard a Malaysian youth saying, "The 
communication barrier was too tall." The Japanese Muslim youth still stayed away from 
the Malaysian Muslim youth, communicating among themselves while the Malaysian 
Muslim youth kept to themselves, too. Because of the language barrier, the researcher 
observed that two distinct groups had formed: Japanese Muslim youth and Malaysian 
Muslim youth. At times, the researcher saw a few of the Malaysian youth lingering 
awkwardly around the Japanese youth and vice-versa. 
Hence, at the start of the guided visit to the Islamic Arts Museum on the third day, 
the Japanese Muslim youth and the Malaysian youth were asked by the researcher, her 
spouse and Hajj Sugimoto to stand in two separate lines, and each of them was assigned 
a partner. All of the youth were paired up - each Japanese Muslim youth with a 
Malaysian Muslim youth - and they were instructed to communicate with each other. 
Throughout the guided tour, the Malaysian youth began to introduce to the Japanese 
youth easy words in English, in hushed tones. The observer saw that this arrangement 
helped, from the way the Malaysian and Japanese youth gestured towards one another. 
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Instantly, they started communicating with one another, which indicated that they were 
warming up to each other. 
Thus, the Japanese Muslim youth and host parents and other family members 
tolerated each other’s daily habits. Despite not being proficient in English, the Japanese 
Muslim youth found their experiences with their host families positive. Participant 
Kawai said he learnt: 
Difference in culture [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Participant Daiki made a comment along similar lines: 
(I) learn Malaysian habits. Malaysians made effort to talk to me. I didn't 
know much about English, but can relax [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 
August, 2019) 
As can be seen, despite communication gaps, even though the Japanese youth and 
their Malaysian host families came from different nationalities, both were like-minded 
and motivated and such an attitude created a sense of accomplishment in the participants 
(Webeck et. al., 2019). 
Participant Kaito noted that despite the differences between him and fellow 
Japanese Muslim youth, as well as between him and the host family, he learnt: 
importance of teamwork [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Throughout the present study, nothing untoward happened. The Japanese Muslim 
youth carried themselves well with respect and dignity, they made an equally positive 
impression on the Malaysian families. Both the Japanese youth and the Malaysian hosts 
worked towards creating a harmonious relationship, a requirement for a successful 
intercultural experience (Pranoto et. al., 2016). Both the Japanese youth and the 
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Malaysian hosts accepted that differences were unavoidable, since all parties came from 
different cultural backgrounds, but these differences did not become a show-stopper for 
them to build a good relationship with one another. 
It must be remembered that it is common for Japanese Muslim children at an 
early age to start enquiring from their parents at what age or life stage they can become 
real Japanese (Takeshita, 2008), which implies they wish to abandon Islam in future. 
In some cases, this issue has led to clashes with elders especially parents (Liu et. al., 
2019). Because of this concern, some parents made the decision to send their children 
to Islamic schools in the Middle-East (Vestre, 2011), but not everyone can afford to 
do this, or wish to live separately from their children for long periods of time. The 
Cultural Exchange Programme, therefore, provides another platform for these parents 
to introduce the beauty of Islam to their children. 
 Tabādul (Exchange of Ideas) 
Just as in the Battle of Ahzāb (Trench) in the fifth Hijri year, when the Prophet 
SAW decided to adopt a new strategy introduced by Salman Al-Farisi by digging 
trenches to defend Madinah and the Muslims (Al-Mubarakpuri, 1996), the mindset and 
habit of being open to exchanging ideas for the sake of da’wah and a better humanity 
is encouraged in the Cultural Exchange Programme. Such a mindset is illustrated by 
the willingness of responsible Muslim adults to listen to questions, no matter what they 
are, and respond to them in an appropriate way. 
It was observed by the researcher that the Japanese youth raised a lot of 
questions during the visit to the halal chicken factory. The participants appeared excited 
from the way they communicated with each other, as it was not just about enlightening 
the Japanese youth about the halal concept from the theoretical perspective. All the 
 128 
youth and host parents were offered the chance to enter a restricted area - the 
slaughtering area - to slaughter the chickens. They eagerly stepped into the space and 
were taught to recite a prayer to invoke Allah's blessings as they put the very sharp knife 
to the chicken's neck. 
Earlier, the researcher observed the founder and Managing Director of Ayam Dr 
Zainol organic chicken factory, Dr Zainol Ahmad Haja himself greeting the 
participants, volunteers and host families of the Cultural Exchange Programme. Dr 
Zainol took the time to explain the basis for halal slaughtering, backed by Qur’an and 
Sunnah evidence. He stressed that halal meat is best not just for Muslims, but for 
everyone. At this juncture, the second generation Japanese Muslim students began to 
ask questions about the halal concept and its relation to Islam and the Muslim way of 
life. Before the guests left, Dr Zainol feted everyone to a hearty lunch of rice, fried 
chicken and mushroom chicken soup. 
Islamic education is sorely missing in Japan. The Japanese Muslim youth hardly 
had any opportunities to discuss and exchange ideas related to Islam, which is critical 
to gaining a better understanding of Islam, the absence of which easily leads to 
identity confusion in adolescence (Aaser, 2019). Being "half" (one parent a non-
Japanese) does not help (Kamada, 2009). All of the participants had one parent who 
was South-Asian. The Japanese in general view South-Asian foreigners as having a 
lower status. Besides, having migrant parents who were trying to raise them according 
to traditional methods would imply that these parents are less likely to listen to their 
concerns (Cook & Waite, 2015), thereby creating intergenerational issues which 
potentially may include parent- child miscommunication. During the Cultural 
Exchange Programme, for the first time they saw what the concept of Islam being a 
complete way of life meant on a daily basis. Participant Haruto noted that he saw: 
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the importance of zakat, halal and creatures [. . .] (Online Interview, 
30 August, 2019) 
A similar sentiment was expressed by participant Yuta: 
[I learnt] halal production methods (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
The outcomes of an international cultural exchange programme are tied to the 
design and purpose of the programme (Stoeckel, 2016). The purpose of the present 
study is to instill self-confidence and love for Islam among all participating youth. It 
was apparent that the Japanese youth were not used to discussing Islamic matters and 
ideas openly. They realised from the Cultural Exchange Programme that it was 
important to grasp a clear understanding of Islam before one could be a true Muslim, as 
voiced by participant Kawai: 
I thought it was good because there were various ideas of Islam [. . .] 
(Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
The Japanese Muslim youth were impressed with the seriousness of Malaysian 
Muslims to fulfil Islamic criteria, as expressed by participant Tokuda: 
Malaysians are [sic] intricate (procedures) such as halal certification [. . 
.] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
As Cates (2017) suggested, experiencing a cultural exchange programme would 
help participants grasp a better understanding of global issues. The feedback above 
proved that the Japanese youth have gained a better understanding and appreciation of 
global issues; in this case, the halal concept, which is significant for Muslims around 
the world. It was good that the halal concept, a culturally sensitive matter, was 
elaborated well and explained by an expert, failing which, the programme could have 
 130 
been less effective. As Abdulai (2019) pointed out, cultural sensitivity is a priority for 
a cultural exchange programme to be successful. 
The Japanese youth also learned that being Muslim does not mean being less 
loyal to your birth country. In fact, Islam requires us to be the best version of 
ourselves, so that we can serve the community in which we live. Interest in the cultures 
of others could mean benefiting from the positives of that culture, and this is an 
advantage of tabādul in place, as commented by participant Tatsuki: 
Malaysians are very interested in Japan. Everyone here likes Japan - 
anime, drama, character [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Thus, liking certain cultural aspects of a country does not make a person any less 
Muslim. Every day, the Japanese Muslim youth, despite language issues, 
communicated their thoughts and ideas to each other, and to their host parents and 
family members, and vice-versa with the help of interpreters. Some of them also used 
online resources e.g. Google Translate to ease communication to exchange ideas with 
one another. 
 Ta-’akhī (To Associate as Brother) 
Allah says, "The Believers are but a single Brotherhood . . ." (Al-Qur'an. Al- 
Hujurat. 49:10); Muslims must be prepared to do what it takes to support one another, 
be there for each other. Just as the Prophet paired up Muslims from Makkah with 
Muslims from Madinah upon migrating to Madinah, the Japanese Muslim youth were 
assigned to host parents/families upon arrival in Malaysia. This is the creation of a bond 
that is aimed to last not only in this world, but in the Hereafter, God willing. As Dr 
Hammudah Abdalati (1975) pointed out, brotherhood in Islam is based upon a solid 
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belief in the Oneness of God. No race is superior than the other. No Malaysian is better 
than a Japanese, and vice-versa. 
The host family/parents were entrusted with treating the Japanese youth like their 
own, to treat them with kindness that can be felt in the heart. Learning about Islam was 
and still is a major issue in Japan (Shiro, 2011), which has resulted in a conflicted 
identity amongst Japanese Muslim youth, not unlike minority Muslims elsewhere e.g. 
in America (Suleiman, 2017) to the extent that internally, these minority Muslim 
children and youth assume different personalities (Muslim or non-Muslim) depending 
on who they are with (Mydin et. al., 2013). Yet it was observed that the word "kindness" 
was mentioned more than a few times by the Japanese Muslim youth in their verbal 
feedback during the Farewell Dinner. The same word was also mentioned by the 
Japanese youth in the online interviews. 
During the Farewell Dinner, the researcher observed Marisi, the only female 
Japanese Muslim overcome with emotion; tears rolled down her cheeks as she 
expressed gratitude for the Cultural Exchange Programme. The researcher assumed she 
felt sad everything was coming to an end. It is hoped that feeling accepted and loved by 
the host parents and family members would make her and all the other participants less 
prone to inferiority complex which is common among their South Asian parents 
(Vestre, 2011). The following day, the researcher saw more tears shed at the departure 
gate at the airport, even a few of the Japanese Muslim male youth were teary-eyed when 
they said their final goodbyes to their host parents and other family members. When a 
Malaysian host father hugged participant Tatsuki and asked when he wanted to come 
back to Malaysia, Tatsuki said: 
Tomorrow [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
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Likewise upon his return to Japan, participant Tokuda reported: 
I did not miss Japan when I was in Malaysia (Online Interview, 30 
August, 2019) 
At the KLIA departure hall, the researcher heard a host parent Sabariah saying, 
"The second generation Japanese Muslim youth found strength in each other [. . .]" It is 
common for the second generation Japanese Muslim youth, the researcher was told, to 
be the only Muslim student in their respective schools, but meeting other Japanese 
Muslim youth in the Cultural Exchange Programme, having deep conversations and 
exchanging notes with other Japanese Muslim youth made them feel they were no 
longer alone. 
The love and care, the brotherhood ('ukhuwwah), that a Muslim feels for another 
is a deep, beautiful, unique emotion (Ahmad, 2012) that can only be understood by a 
person who has experienced it. The Malaysian host parents and other family members 
treated the Japanese Muslim youth with much kindness, respect and care. As a result, 
the Japanese Muslim youth felt at home, appreciated and treasured. Such a step is 
crucial to plant the seeds of a lifelong relationship of brotherhood ('ukhuwwah). The 
kindness and care the Malaysian host parents and other family members extended to the 
Japanese Muslim youth was something they had never seen and felt before. Hence, 
according to participant Haruto: 
Everyone was very kind [. . .]" (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Participant Tatsuki felt so comfortable with his host parents such that: 
On the last day I was talking to my host parent until 3:00 am in the 
morning [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
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In the present study, the researcher observed that a briefing was presented for each 
event. A speaker would enlighten the participants why a certain Islamic practice was 
done, the benefits and the wisdom behind the practice, followed by a Questions & 
Answers session, in which the Japanese youth were encouraged to ask anything they 
had in mind. As a result, the Japanese youth began to see Islam in a new light as 
commented by participant Daiki: 
I was able to learn more about Islamic culture [. . .]   
(Online Interview,  30 August, 2019) 
Participant Marisi, who, prior to the trip never told anyone about her religious 
affiliation as Muslim, discovered a new perspective. At the end of the programme she 
commented: 
I hope in Japan the number of Muslims will increase in future [. . .] 
(Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
All the feedback above, in particular multiple mentions of the warmth and 
kindness extended by the Malaysian hosts, suggest that the Cultural Exchange 
Programme had left a lasting positive impression on the young minds of the Japanese 
Muslim. At the end of the Farewell Dinner, when asked if they wished to participate in 
future Cultural Exchange Programmes, the researcher observed that all nine Japanese 
Muslim youth responded in the affirmative i.e. "Yes", which was verified by another 
affirmative "Yes" by all of them for the same question asked in the online interviews. 
Based on these responses, it is deduced that the Cultural Exchange Programme 
experience had been uplifting for the participants; it had indeed touched the hearts and 
minds of all nine Japanese Muslim youth. 
 134 
 Al-ta’ayush Al-Silmīyy (To Coexist in Peace and Harmony) 
To coexist in peace and harmony, to achieve a state of Al-ta’ayush Al-Silmīyy, 
respect, consideration and acceptance must be in place. Recognising that Allah in His 
Wisdom created mankind in diverse ethnicities, races, languages and cultures means we 
must leverage these differences for the benefit of humanity. Diversity well-understood 
and well-handled will produce greater productivity for everyone involved (Shaykh 
Abdullah bin Bayyah, cited by Fadzil, 2018). Rather than viewing differences as an 
annoyance or irritation, we must welcome them as a source of potential strength, as 
differences are manifestations of Allah's power. 
For the Japanese Muslim youth in the present study, joining an intercultural 
homestay programme have enabled them to immerse in another culture, consistent with 
the findings of Knight & Schmidt-Rinehart (2002). Besides, the unfamiliar experience 
of staying in a foreign country, in this case, Malaysia, has developed in them an 
appreciation of people they see as "others" (in the context of the present study, "others" 
refer to Malaysian Muslims) as suggested by Stephenson (1999). Living together 
peacefully with others begins with having peace and harmony within oneself. By the 
end of the Japan-Malaysia Youth Cultural Exchange Programme 2019, based on the 
feedback given, the researcher surmised that the Japanese Muslim youth felt peace 
within themselves as Muslims. The researcher also believed that they have gained a 
keen sense of accomplishment through the varied activities conducted, which had 
helped deepen their personal connections and relationships with their host parents and 
families as well as with one another. Learning salient details of Islamic History made 
them motivated to want to know even more about the Islamic legacy they have inherited 
from their parents. Asked to list the important things he learnt during the Cultural 
Exchange Programme, participant Tokuda wrote: 
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the greatness of old Muslims [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 August, 
2019) 
To the same question, participant Tatsuki responded with: 
be proud of being Muslim (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
It would be safe to assume that the Japan-Malaysia Youth Cultural Exchange 
Programme 2019 had broadened the participants' worldview, both as Muslims and as 
Japanese nationals. Most important, by the time they left, they felt more comfortable 
with their Muslim identity. As participant Kaito explained: 
I want to share what I got this time with my friends (Online Interview, 
30 August, 2019) 
Participant Tokuda discovered that in Malaysia: 
I did a lot of things that I could not experience in Japan (Online 
Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
It is hoped that their new-found confidence as Muslims would continue to develop 
peace in their hearts, motivate them to practice as Muslims, and enable them to 
contribute positively in the Japanese community where they reside, just as the minority 
Muslim youth in Hong Kong (Yuen & Leung, 2019) and America (Corbett, 2016) did. 
Over the course of the Cultural Exchange Programme, as a result of their personal 
connections and positive interactions with their host parents and families, the Japanese 
Muslim youth felt at home in Malaysia and developed self-confidence as Muslims. 
After the programme, they realised it is alright to be different from the non-Muslim 
majority in Japan. 
  
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Furthermore, the Cultural Exchange Programme opened the eyes of the 
Japanese Muslim youth to the suitability of Islam in modern life as Islam celebrates 
intercultural differences. In Malaysia, they saw for the first time the benefits of 
diversity, Muslims and non-Muslims living and working side by side in harmony. As 
participant Haruto declared: 
I want to study cultural differences with other countries   
(Online  Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Asked what they would do differently now that they had returned to Japan, each 
of the nine Japanese Muslim youth responded in ways that showed their intentions to 
follow through on activities related to Islam, either in the form of personal worship or 
getting involved in the Muslim community. In terms of personal worship, participant 
Haruto said he would: 
Cherish worship [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Participant Tokuda echoed the same sentiment by stating: 
I (will) worship (solat) everyday (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Other remarks indicated that they wanted to step out of their reservations as 
Muslims and reach out to the Muslim community in Japan, a sign of growing self-
confidence as  a Muslim youth. For example, participant Marisi wrote: 
I want to start by making more Muslim friends by participating more in 
the Muslim community in Japan (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Participant Daiki expressed a similar sentiment: 
I want to participate more in the Muslim community in Japan [. . .] 
(Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
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Likewise, participant Yuta intended to: 
participate in exchanges with nearby Muslims (Online Interview, 30 
August, 2019) 
Participant Riku went a step further by expressing his desire to play a leading 
role  sometime in the future: 
I want to take the lead in helping people [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 
August, 2019) 
Participant Tatsuki, who loved to talk, learnt that being Muslim is a source of 
pride and strength, and Islam is a treasure to be cherished and shared with others, 
Muslims and non-Muslims. Therefore, he had decided to: 
live a little more dignified back home in Japan . . . (will) learn history 
and culture of Islam more and spread to others [. . .] (Online Interview, 
30 August, 2019) 
All the above responses taken together implied that the Cultural Exchange 
Programme had strengthened the identities of the Japanese youth as Muslims. All nine 
of the second generation Japanese Muslim youth who participated in this research were 
total strangers to one another before coming to Malaysia. However, based on the 
researcher's observations of their facial expressions, gestures and body language, they 
quickly made friends with one another, although the researcher could not understand 
what they were saying, since they communicated with one another entirely in Japanese. 
It was interesting to note that they became much more at ease with one another 
during and after the visit to Janda Baik. The ratio of Japanese youth to Malaysian youth 
then was nearly 1:1. The researcher observed that the activities were well-organised, 
highly engaging, and the lead facilitator debriefed all the youth at the end of each 
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activity to put meaning into it. With such lively interactions, the Japanese Muslim 
youth's perception of living Islam as too rigid and too hard to adhere to (Fathil & Fathil 
2011) was being subtly challenged. 
Further, these outcomes bode well for the formation of long-term brotherhood 
between all three relationship levels: Japanese youth-Japanese youth, Japanese youth- 
host parent, and Japanese youth-Malaysian youth (mainly teenagers/young adults who 
were children of the host parents). The positive outcomes in this research supported the 
results of earlier studies done on cultural sensitivities (Martinsen, 2011 & Reynolds- 
Case, 2013) which suggested that direct interactions with locals contribute towards 
valuable consequences including establishment of local networks to the benefit of the 
participants ((Mhd Sarif, 2019, Castanēda & Zirger, 2011). 
4.4 The Five Domains of Human Connection 
This section illustrates how the Concept of Al-ta’āruf  is internalised in the 
Cultural Exchange Programme in terms of the five domains of human connection tied 
to Al-ta’āruf : Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Cultural, and Spiritual. 
 Physical Domain 
The physical activities incorporated in the Japan-Malaysia Youth Cultural 
Exchange Programme 2019 were meant to raise awareness among the Japanese Muslim 
youth that being a good practising Muslim, building a relationship with Allah, is 
possible no matter where you are and what you are doing, as stated by Allah: "Men who 
celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and 
contemplate (the wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth . . ." (Al-Qur'an. Al- 
'Imrān. 3:191). 
 139 
The best example to prove that learning can take place while learners are in the 
middle of physical activity was provided by the Prophet SAW who used to impart 
lessons to his companions where appropriate when they were in the middle of physical 
activity. For instance, once the Prophet SAW was walking with his companions and 
saw a dead sheep. He asked them, "Who amongst you would buy this sheep for a 
dirham?" They replied, "None of us." The Prophet said, "Likewise is the value of this 
worldly life. It is worth as little as this dead sheep." (narrated by Muslim, cited by Beshir 
& Beshir, 2007). This proved that learning can take place anywhere and anytime, even 
during moments of physical activity. What the Al-ta’āruf  Concept tried to achieve in 
the present study was to touch the Japanese Muslim youth's soul and awaken their 
conscience through various methods including physical activity. 
Based on the researcher's observation, activities that required the Japanese youth 
to physically stretch themselves were set up in the early stages of the Cultural Exchange 
Programme to create a more conducive environment for them to get to know one 
another, as well as learn about the Muslim and Malaysian culture. Such activities were 
purposely set up to facilitate learning. As Deardoff (2016) highlighted, international 
student exchange such as the present study promotes mutual peace and understanding 
throughout the world. But such noble aims can only be achieved if the participants were 
given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the everyday culture of the host (Seki, 
2016). 
The researcher observed how the team-building games at Janda Baik included 
obstacles, archery, fishing and crazy golf which prompted all youth, Malaysian and 
Japanese to collaborate, communicate and interact as teams, as well as built rapport and 
trust with one another. Through the present study, the Japanese Muslim youth immersed 
themselves in physical activities as a means of intercultural learning. Intercultural 
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learning means acquiring knowledge and understanding about another person's or 
community's culture. In this case, the Japanese Muslim youth experienced first-hand 
some physical activities that are common among the Malaysian Muslim community. 
Learning about another culture is more meaningful if a person were to immerse himself 
or herself in activities that are part and parcel of that culture. Consequently, the robust 
outing at Radiant Retreat, Saujana Janda Baik, where they had outdoor games was 
commented upon, for example by participant Marisi: 
[liked] knowing Malaysian culture through nature [. . .]   
(Online  Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Marginalisation of Muslim minority youth is a matter of concern (Fleischmann & 
Phalet, 2017). Government affiliated community programmes may require some kind 
of physical activity in order to heighten a sense of national belonging (Corbett, 2016); 
if the youth are comfortable with physical activity, back home in Japan they would be 
more likely to enrol in such activities and indirectly reduce marginalisation of Muslims 
and anti-Muslim sentiments. 
The most typical way of learning anything is by sitting in a classroom and 
listening to the teacher, which was totally different from the experience introduced in 
the Cultural Exchange Programme. From the researcher's observations, none of the 
Japanese youth hesitated to involve themselves in the physical activities infused in the 
present study. In fact, they liked such activities as participant Riku remarked, because: 
everyone can participate [. . .] (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
In a cultural exchange programme, the cultural shock must be minimised to 
maximise effectiveness (Seki, 2016) and physical activity is one way to achieve this 
goal. Additionally, experiencing these activities may bring about greater appreciation 
 141 
of another culture (Stephenson, 1999). Through physical activity, the youth come into 
contact with local networks (Castanēda & Zirger, 2011), making the present study a 
more immersive cultural experience (Crawford, 2017), influencing the quality of human 
interactions (Hommadova & Mita, 2016). Removing elements of syncretism (Ali, 
2018) widespread in Japan is a gradual process. With no help from authorities, Muslim 
minorities have to work that much harder to educate their youth, as shown by the Hong 
Kong Muslim community (Yip-Ho, 2018). But the Prophet SAW himself has shown 
that it is possible for Muslim minorities to thrive in a pluralistic society (Siddiqi, 2006). 
The physical activities incorporated in the present study might be common for 
Malaysians, but might not be so for the Japanese Muslim youth. Absence of Islamic 
education for youth in Japan (Takeshita, 2008 & Vestre, 2011) implies responsible 
Muslims need to look into alternative avenues, including physical activities that appeal 
to the youth in order to engage them. 
 Intellectual Domain 
The Intellectual Domain is all about thinking, reflecting upon, and internalising 
new knowledge. It was important for the Japanese youth to understand the higher 
purpose of all the things that they were doing in the Cultural Exchange Programme. 
Qur'an classes conducted in Japan such as the Tokyo Mosque (Siddiqi, 2016) and 
Otsuka Mosque (Japan Islamic Trust, 2020) are not accessible to many Japanese 
Muslim youth. It is possible that these youth do not realise the significance of the 
intellectual aspect of Islam. Besides, unbalanced reporting which neglected sources 
from Muslim countries and media (Ahmad & Matthes, 2016) might further influence 
these youth to perceive Islam in a negative light. Although the Muslim minority in Japan 
are not subject to persecution unlike Muslims in China (Basri & Ta'arif, 2018), the 
 142 
inconsistency of home and school in terms of Islamic education (Shiro, 2011) implies 
that efforts must be made to ensure that these youth gain a good grasp of Islam 
intellectually. 
The researcher observed that at the end of each day, a brief reflection (tadabbur) 
session was carried out, where the coordinators would talk about the day's activities and 
relating them to the purpose of life in Islam. Without these daily intellectual sessions, 
the activities would have been little more than events that were fun and tiring, without 
deeper and real meanings. 
The researcher observed that the Japanese youth listened intently to the 
explanations given during the brief tadabbur sessions, an indication that they were 
processing the new knowledge in their minds. A Muslim is not a blind follower. Islam 
is against blind following of traditions and customs, no matter where these traditions 
came from. Allah says: "When it is said to them: 'Follow what Allah has revealed' they 
say: 'Nay! We shall follow the ways of our fathers.' What! Even though their fathers 
were void of wisdom and guidance?" (Al-Qur'an. Al-Baqarah. 2:170). Allah also says: 
"And pursue not that of which you have no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of 
seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into on the Day of Reckoning". (Al- 
Qur'an. Al-'Isra'. 17:36). Further, Allah says: "Those who give partners (to Allah) will 
say: 'If Allah had wished, we should not have given partners to Him, nor would our 
fathers; nor should we have had any taboos.'" (Al-Qur'an. Al-An'ām. 6:148). 
Based on the researcher's observation, none of the participants seemed distracted 
or fidgety during the tadabbur sessions. As ideas were shared during the tadabbur 
sessions, the youth would be reflecting on how similar or different these ideas were 
compared to what they had assumed, heard or understood back home in Japan, prior to 
the Cultural Exchange Programme. At an intellectual level, the Japanese youth would 
 143 
see that Islam is a religion that emphasises knowledge e.g. ". . . O my Lord! Advance 
me in knowledge." (Al-Qur'an. Tā Hā. 20:114), and knowledge requires thinking and 
rationality which leads to correct understanding. Some intellectual questions that the 
Japanese youth might have been thinking at this stage could have been: "What are some 
Japanese traditions that I have been following and why?", "Where do these traditions 
came from?", "Are they harmful or helpful to me?" 
As Halstead (2004) pointed out, in Islam, "knowledge must be approached 
reverently and in humility, for there cannot be any ‘true’ knowledge that is in conflict 
with religion and divine revelation, only ignorance". Thus, the intellectual domain 
embedded into the Al-ta’āruf  Concept in the Cultural Exchange Programme in the 
form of these tadabbur sessions created opportunities for the Japanese Muslim youth 
to question their own understanding and assumptions about the matters raised, 
particularly those related to Islam. If there were inaccuracies, these sessions gave them 
the chance to correct them, thereby creating clarity in their understanding of some 
basic principles of Islam, hence strengthening their faith in Islam. On the contrary, 
inaccurate knowledge would have led to confusion and a weakening of faith. The 
tadabbur sessions made them realise the values of life in Islam, for example, 
participant Daiki said that he learnt about: 
preciousness of life (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
The intellectual domain cannot be neglected in Islamic education as 
understanding higher order matters are naturally part of growing up in adolescence. 
Issues related to God, the universe, purpose of life linger in the minds of youth (Al- 
Talib et. al., 2013). It would not be wise for Islamic educators to limit discussions only 
to subjects like dress and food, and ignore more serious topics that are more 
 144 
fundamental (Sahin, 2013). If such topics were avoided, over time the youth might 
develop more liberal views manifested in behaviours (Kalmijn, 2018) which is likely to 
weaken their relationship with their parents. 
Throughout these tadabbur sessions, the Japanese youth were encouraged to ask 
questions. As Pranoto et. al. (2016) asserts, making real efforts to understand one 
another and creating harmonious relationships is a worthy aim of intercultural 
relations. Depending on the interactions that transpired, an intercultural exchange 
programme like the present study either enhances or weakens the participant's 
identity. It would seem that the interactions that took place during the present study 
enhanced the participants' identity as noted by participant Yuta, who reported that he 
had the opportunity to: 
listen & talk to them (host parents, presenters)   
(Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
In this way, the Cultural Exchange Programme helped create intellectual insights 
for the Japanese Muslim youth and assisted them to gain better understanding about 
specific matters in Islam that they were not clear about prior to the Cultural Exchange 
Programme. They learnt that Islam sets human beings apart from other creatures on 
earth, by virtue of the intellect that Allah has gifted upon mankind. 
 Emotional Domain 
To succeed, the Japan-Malaysia Youth Cultural Exchange Programme 2019 
banked on the strength of the emotional connection between the Japanese youth and the 
host parents and families. The host parents were briefed well before the programme 
began, how crucial it was for them to be there for these youth, and build rapport to 
establish trust. The Malaysian host parents certainly did leave a strong positive 
 145 
impression on the young minds of the Japanese, judging from the comments made by 
the Japanese youth. As noted by Kinginger et. al. (2016), meal times together with the 
host family are especially important, as it provides the chance for youth and hosts to 
share ideas on aesthetics of food and ideologies. 
Based on the researcher's observation, from the photos and comments shared by 
the host parents in the specially created whatsapp group for the present study, 
throughout the programme, the host parents made sure that the youth they had been 
entrusted with felt welcome. For example, during the trip to Putrajaya, the researcher 
observed that the host parents ensured that the youth got their meal orders right, paid 
for these meals generously, and arranged the tables and chairs such that they were 
comfortable. Participant Kaito went so far as to comment that: 
People in Japan are cold. People in Malaysia are warm. Malaysian 
kindness . . . keep asking to eat (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Other participants echoed similar sentiments, such as participant Yuta, who 
appreciated bonding with his host parents as well as host family members through 
simple daily activities: 
[liked] eating together . . . good memory   
(Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Lack of understanding on how each party (youth and hosts) should treat one 
another can cause unnecessary confusion from either side, and may be perceived as lack 
of hospitality (Kobayashi & Viswat, 2015). Such negative consequences were not 
present throughout the present study, based on the researcher's observations and the 
Japanese youth's feedback. In fact, the participants attributed their positive experience 
to Malaysian Muslim culture and kindness, as participant Haruto pointed out: 
 146 
Everyone was very kind (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Being a minority can affect self-esteem (Hutnik, 1991), pushing the youth to 
either assimilate, disssociate or acculturate (Hutnik, 2003) or refusing to inform others 
of their Muslim identity (Aaser, 2016). A minority youth can undergo alienation or 
identity crisis (Lynch, 2013), see Islam as a burden, part of an identity struggle that 
might even lead them to act in negative ways to free themselves of the "shackles of 
Islam" (Suleiman, 2017). It does not help if the youth's parents are migrants with more 
traditional backgrounds (Cook & Waite, 2015), leading to intergenerational clashes (Liu 
et. al, 2019), resulting in an emotional roller coaster (Mydin et. al., 2013). Such concerns 
further validate and necessitate the emotional input that must be invested into the 
present study. 
It must be emphasized that none of the Japanese youth knew their host parents 
and family members prior to the Cultural Exchange Programme, yet these youth had 
used words that implied how the programme had impacted their emotions. Participant 
Tokuda stated that he: 
learnt important things close to my heart   
(Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
It is possible for participants of a youth cultural exchange programme to gain 
more than what they had hoped for as reported by Costas & Singco (2016). It would 
seem such was the case for the present study, as the Japanese youth felt respected and 
accepted despite their poor command of English. The majority of the Malaysian parents 
were hosting Japanese youth whose English was weak, but it did not stop them from 
emotionally bonding with these youth, and the youth appreciated this attitude, as 
participant Haruto noted: 
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I didn’t know English, but I can relax due to kindness of Malaysians 
(Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
In any human-to-human relationship, the emotional connection is key. If the 
Japanese youth felt connected to their host parents and family, they would respect them 
and would be more likely to be inspired by the beliefs and actions of their host family 
members as Muslims. In other words, the Japanese youth would look up to their host 
parents as role models, whose words and actions are worthy to follow. This was what 
seemed to have taken place throughout the Cultural Exchange Programme. 
In the Qur'an Allah mentions myriad kinds of emotions, thus proving how 
important the emotional domain is in human lives. Examples include: ". . . and We 
ordained in the hearts of those who followed him compassion and mercy. . ." (Al- 
Qur'an. Al-Hadīd. 57:27); "Verily the Companions of the Garden shall that day have 
joy in all that they do." (Al-Qur'an. Yā Sīn. 36:55); ". . . No fear shall be on you that 
Day, nor shall you grieve . . ." (Al-Qur'an. Al-Zukhruf. 43:68); ". . . He has put affection 
into their hearts . . ." (Al-Qur'an. Al-Anfāl. 8:63); "And if (at any time), an incitement 
to discord is made to you by the Evil One, seek refuge in Allah." (Al-Qur'an. Fussilat. 
41:36); and "Praise be to Allah, Who has removed from us (all) sorrow . . ." (Al-Qur'an. 
Fātir. 35:33-35). 
The Al-Ta’āruf Concept is about learning through the intercultural approach; a 
particular activity might evoke different emotions to culturally different groups of 
people. To make the present study successful, the researcher had to be mindful of how 
each of the activities in the programme would affect the emotions of both Malaysian 
hosts and Japanese youth. This is because, activities that are too intense or too boring 
or made them uncomfortable may spark negative emotions and therefore are not likely 
to optimise the learning experience. Thus, it was important to structure the Cultural 
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Exchange Programme in a way that was emotionally appealing to both the Malaysian 
hosts and Japanese Muslim youth, so that each of the activities planned create emotions 
that appeal to both groups. 
Emotions make us human. If we were to neglect the emotional domain, we would 
have ignored the fact that the Prophet SAW applied a lot of emotions in his everyday 
dealings to engage with people. The Prophet knew it was never a matter of simply 
telling people what to do, what is right and what is wrong, telling them the rules and 
regulations of Islam to win them over. The Prophet was highly attuned to the various 
emotional states of his followers as Allah says: "It is part of the Mercy of Allah that you 
deal gently with them. Were you severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken 
away.. ." (Al-Qur'an. Al-'Imrān. 3:159). Similarly, the Al-ta’āruf  Concept in the 
present study required the researcher to be in tune to the emotions of Malaysian hosts 
and Japanese Muslim youths. 
Hence, based on the researcher's observation, for example, there were times when 
activities had to be adjusted in terms of timing and content so that the participants did 
not feel overwhelmed. In addition, to make sense of their experiences, the Japanese 
Muslim youth would have reflected on their feelings as they participated in the activities 
daily. Da’wah cannot be a totally rational approach devoid of the emotional domain. 
By extension, the Al-ta’āruf  Concept infused in the present study could not have been 
executed without encompassing the emotional domain. 
 Cultural Domain 
The cultural domain covers many aspects including but not limited to dress, food 
and language. Through the Al-ta’āruf  Concept in the present study, the researcher 
observed how participants had the opportunity to witness that differences in culture can 
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enrich humanity and does not have to be a divisive factor. In Malaysia, people from 
different ethnic backgrounds work together in harmony. Malaysian Muslims belong to 
different ethnic groups including Malay, Chinese, Indian and more. For the Japanese 
Muslim youth, this is an important discovery because in Japan, they were looked down 
upon since they do not look Japanese, even though they were born and raised in Japan, 
and speak fluent Japanese. The Malaysian host parents and families treated the 
Japanese Muslim youth with much respect and kindness because they were honoured 
guests. 
Based on the researcher's observations, the host parents and Malaysian youth 
wore different outfits on different days which reflected Malaysia's diverse cultural 
backgrounds. The ladies especially were seen wearing baju kurung or long dress or 
kurta-like blouses along with colourful tudungs. Likewise the males on Friday wore 
baju Melayu or jubah or a simple modern shirt. 
The concept of multiculturalism was applied by the Prophet Muhammad SAW 
when he migrated to Madinah, whereby he paired up the Muslims arriving from Makkah 
(Muhajirin) with the Muslims in Madinah (Ansār), so that the Ansār may assist the 
Muhajirin as best they could as brothers and sisters in Islam. Although both the Ansār 
and the Muhajirin were Arabs, they came from different locations and therefore, had 
their own cultures; they had different ways of perceiving and doing things. Respecting 
peoples of different cultures is a landmark of Islam. Multiculturalism is to be celebrated, 
not shunned. This practice by the Prophet SAW underlined the importance of working 
together to achieve harmony between peoples of different cultural backgrounds. 
Equally important, becoming Muslim does not mean that a person has to denounce his 
or her ethnic culture. Just as an Ansār is both Muslim and belonging to the Madinan 
culture and a Muhajirin is both Muslim and belonging to the Makkan culture, a person 
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can be both Malaysian and Muslim, or Japanese and Muslim. Thus, the Al-ta’āruf  
Concept aimed to raise the awareness of the Japanese Muslim youth that being Muslim 
does not reduce their inherent cultural value. 
It was important for the Japanese youth to learn that being Muslim does not mean 
one has to denounce one's ethnic ties and cultural heritage, so long as these are not 
contrary to Islamic values. If a person is Malay, being Muslim does not mean he must 
wear Arabic clothes and eat Arabic food. On the contrary, it is perfectly alright to wear 
the clothes and consume the food that is common in his ethnic group, as long as they 
are halal. It shows the diversity and richness of Muslim culture. Thus, within a short 
visit, the Japanese youth got to savour Malaysian dishes that are popular within the 
diverse Muslim community. For example, participant Tatsuki enjoyed: 
living with delicious rice (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Within one week, Kawai's host parents and family taught him some basic Malay 
words which he presented during the Farewell Dinner. As a result, Kawai said that he: 
liked Malay culture . . . country is unique   
(Online Interview, 30  August, 2019) 
The present study is meant to broaden the worldview of the participants, so they 
would be less likely to be pressured into conformity (Kamada, 2009) specifically back 
home in Japan. Adolescence is the ideal time for educators to focus on identity building 
(Samian, 2008); numerous interactions with others in their groups shape the identities 
of youth (Mead, 1940, cited in Sugimura et. al., 2015). In certain peoples, collectivism 
in the form of groups and relationships are more important (Sugimura et. al., 2015), a 
fact that needs to be accounted for when dealing with the Japanese. Through face-to- 
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face interactions with Malaysians and thereby, experiencing Malaysian Muslim ways 
of living, the Japanese youth observed new habits, as mentioned by participant Marisi: 
learn habits of Malaysians (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
In addition, the exposure has allowed them to benefit in terms of appreciating a 
foreign  culture as well as Islam, as participant Yuta noted: 
deepen (understanding of) Malaysian culture and Islam   
(Online  Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Considering the inferiority complex common among their South Asian parents 
(commonly the mother) married to the Japanese (Vestre, 2011), efforts must be made 
so that the Japanese Muslim youth do not inherit such a legacy. The negative perception 
that Islam is too rigid (Fathil & Fathil, 2011) and therefore impractical to adopt must 
be continually challenged. The participants must be encouraged to develop 
multicultural symbiotic ties (Sultana, 2019) with non-Muslims not at the expense of 
their Muslim identity. The cultural dimension must be addressed and cultural 
sensitivity (Abdulai, 2019) accounted for. Along these lines, the participants of the 
present study realised that for a country to do well, its citizens can come from 
different cultures, and do not have to be homogeneous like Japan. As participant 
Daiki commented: 
Tun Dr Mahathir a great leader for Chinese, Malay & Indians living 
together (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
The Japanese youth learned that, just as in Japan, the culture amongst peoples in 
Malaysia is to work hard in order to be successful and happy, as participant Tatsuki 
wrote: 
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Really learned a lot, impressed with Malaysia, work hard host family 
(Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
The week-long visit had piqued the Japanese youth's interest to explore beyond 
Japan, and to look into the possibility of furthering their studies in Malaysia, as 
participant Haruto stated: 
[. . . doing a personal] survey to study in Malaysia, know more about 
culture (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Hence, the Japanese youth learned it's alright to admire certain aspects of another 
country, but this is all in the spirit of getting to know one another, and to continue 
learning from each other. Indeed, the aim of the interactions with the host parents/family 
as well as other Malaysians was to provide a starting point so that the Japanese youth 
want to return to Malaysia, perhaps to further their studies and develop themselves 
further, especially as Muslims. 
 Spiritual Domain 
Adolescence opens a suitable window of opportunity when responsible adults 
must discuss true concepts of tawhīd (Oneness of God), the world of the unseen (al- 
ghayb) and more abstract concepts including society development and metaphysics (Al- 
Talib et. al., 2013). When it comes to providing Islamic education for Muslim youth 
and instilling tawhīd, a comprehensive approach must be considered, and discussions 
need to go beyond issues related to common topics such as dress and food (Sahin, 2013). 
As well, adolescence is the time for identity search. The extent to which identities are 
impacted or enhanced during an intercultural exchange programme is dependent on the 
quality of the interactions that the participants experienced throughout such a 
programme (Stoeckel, 2016). However, the context of the study by Stoeckel (2016) was 
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on an Erasmus programme in which the participants were Europeans, while the study 
by Cates (2017) was conducted among participants of an Asian Youth Forum. 
Nonetheless, the potential impact of quality interactions still applies in the present 
study. 
A brief homestay can be transformative and is a platform to broaden one's 
horizon (Cates, 2017). Just as the three eminent Japanese highlighted in this study i.e. 
Sulaiman Akira Hamanaka, Umar Mita, and Hajj Sugimoto had experienced living with 
practising Muslims, for the first time in their lives the Japanese Muslim youth 
experienced what it was like to live in an environment where they were surrounded by 
people who lived by the tenets of Islam. Allah says: ". . . for without doubt in the 
remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction" (Al-Qur'an. Al-Ra'd. 13:28). Seeing 
mosques everywhere, being reminded of prayer five times a day was something new 
and refreshing. Not only that, a mosque is a place to find serenity, as noted by 
participant Tokuda: 
Mosque is big - can chill at back (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Since the Japanese youth came from different backgrounds, and from the fact that 
Islamic education was not easily available in Japan, it was deemed appropriate to have 
practical basic lessons on prayer, although this was done subtly at the masjid. At the 
mosque, the researcher observed that the host mother of the only female Japanese 
Muslim youth would deliberately take wudhu' in front of her and pray together with her, 
to encourage her to pray. One of the host fathers did a demonstration for wudhu' and 
the prayers were always done together. Consequently, the participants expressed 
interest to do better as a Muslim, as stated by participant Kawai: 
  
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learnt to pray and take wudhu' (ablution). I knew the stuff before, but 
now doing it properly (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Participant Tokuda agreed, stating that: 
At USIM, I learnt how to pray and perform ablution . . . and learnt how 
to take wudhu' to do better (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
The researcher observed that there were other interesting specifics that were 
explained to the Japanese youth, for example, why the mimbar in a masjid is hollow, 
as explained by the guide at the Islamic Arts Museum. They realised that Islamic 
practices that are true to Islam have a strong reason to be such, and are not the result of 
whimsical desires of the Muslim community. In Japan, finding a mosque within close 
proximity of one's dwelling is a luxury. Participant Haruto noted that in Malaysia: 
(You) hear azan anywhere you go. In Japan, perform solat only when I 
remember (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Research has proven that it is possible for Muslim minority youth from a cross- 
cultural background to be proud of being Muslim and simultaneously have a sense of 
belonging and connectedness to their home country (Yuen & Leung, 2019 & Shazhadi 
et. al., 2017) whereby Islam is a stabilising factor in their growth and development. 
Such Muslim minority youth do not view Islam as a threat (Morgan & Poynting, 2016) 
and despite contradictory circumstances, these youth are motivated to do religious acts 
e.g. praying. However, to reach this level, the youth must have acquired a certain 
amount of knowledge and understanding about Islam. For the participants in the present 
study, although they had learned some basic Islamic principles back home in Japan, 
their understanding back then was much to be desired. Thus, all of their parents were 
 155 
genuinely concerned that these youth would choose not to practice Islam once they 
become adults due to lack of proper understanding of Islam. Participant Tatsuki said: 
Before this, I learnt Islam via internet . . . thought it was enough but 
here . . . understand more detail (Online Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
The majority of these Japanese Muslim youth were a product of mixed marriages 
between born Muslims (in many cases, the father) and born Japanese non-Muslim 
(commonly the mother). Hence, through the Cultural Exchange Programme, they 
experienced Islam at a deeper practical level. Participant Tatsuki, who admitted to 
having doubts about Islam and was on the brink of leaving Islam prior to joining the 
Cultural Exchange Programme, discovered something unexpected from the spiritual 
aspect: 
I feel proud being Muslim here, I am free to integrate MashaAllah. I 
will learn history and culture of Islam more and spread to others (Online 
Interview, 30 August, 2019) 
Because of the very small number of Japanese Muslims in Japan, a school in Japan 
might have only one Japanese Muslim student. As participant Tatsuki declared: 
We were the only Muslims at school in Japan . . . I was relieved to hear 
that they (the other participants) were having the same experience, the 
same circumstances. I’m not alone (Online Interview, 30 August, 
2019) 
This is a clear declaration that these Japanese Muslim youth found strength in 
each other's presence. Being the only Muslim in school makes it all the more difficult 
for these minority Muslim youth to practice Islam. As a result of the Cultural 
Exchange Programme, they discovered other Japanese Muslim youth who were in the 
 156 
same predicament. It is hoped that they would continue to be in touch with, and 
support one another once they returned to Japan. 
4.5 Conclusion 
In line with the Al-ta’āruf  Concept in the Cultural Exchange Programme, the 
Japanese Muslim youth were removed for a period of time from an environment in 
Japan where religiosity and spirituality was not the norm in society. They were then 
introduced to an environment in Malaysia where religiosity and therefore, spirituality, 
could be seen, heard and felt consistently by the common presence and practices of 
Muslims. This was deliberately done so that the Japanese Muslim youth could 
experience for themselves the difference between these two environments, and what it 
would mean to them as Muslims. 
By and large, the Japanese are indifferent towards religion. Even if a Japanese 
believes in a particular faith, it is something that he or she would not discuss or mention 
in the open, as religion is considered too personal to be shared with others. For Japanese 
students, any kind of lesson or activity related to religion is prohibited by law from 
being carried out in school. The environment is such that religion is not seen, heard or 
felt whether one is in school or out on the street. For a Japanese child, the exposure for 
religious education he or she gets will be at home, if the parents are able to teach. Or, if 
there is a Muslim community where he or she lives, they might pool their resources 
together to organise classes at the local mosque or at an Islamic Centre. However, many 
Japanese Muslim families live nowhere near a mosque or Islamic Centre. For many 
Japanese Muslim youth, an environment connected to spirituality is absent. In 
comparison, when the Japanese Muslim youth were in Malaysia, they could see, hear 
and feel the presence of spirituality several times a day. They heard the azan each time 
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it was time to pray. They prayed together in congregation during the prayer break a 
few times each day throughout the Cultural Exchange Programme. 
From an environment almost devoid of remembrance of God, they were exposed 
to one where they were reminded of God every single day. Further, every activity they 
did throughout the Cultural Exchange Programme was linked back to Islam and their 
purpose of life as Muslims. As Allah says, ". . . without doubt in the remembrance of 
Allah do hearts find satisfaction." (Al-Qur'an. Al-Ra'd. 13:28). In this way, the 
spirituality element was infused into the Al-ta’āruf  Concept in this programme. 
In this chapter, the researcher presented the results of data analysis relating to 
the experiences of the Japanese Muslim youth who enrolled in the Cultural Exchange 
Programme. These results helped the researcher to conceptualise the experiences in 
relation to the seven elements of Al-ta’āruf : Tahāwur (dialogue); Ta-’arūf  (mutually 
knowing, mutually interacting); Ta-’āyush (to coexist); Tasāmuh (tolerate each other’s 
differences); Tabādul (exchange of ideas); Ta-’akhī (to associate as brother); and Al-ta- 
‘āyush Al-Silmīyy (to co-exist peacefully and in harmony) and explained how each of 
these have contributed to heighten the Muslim identity of the Japanese Muslim youth. 
In other words, these seven elements of the Al-ta’āruf  Concept were the factors that 
came into play to strengthen the Muslim identity of the Japanese Muslim youth. 
Throughout the Cultural Exchange Programme, the Japanese Muslim youth had 
experienced positive human interactions especially with the host family and other 
Malaysians in general. They felt valued, respected and treasured as human beings. After 
a full eight days, the Cultural Exchange Programme finally came to a close. It took six 
months of detailed preparations by the researcher - convincing the official organiser, 
the Chiba Islamic Cultural Centre (CICC) to be the official partner who would 
coordinate matters in Japan especially in promoting the programme to the youth and 
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their parents, and handling their enquiries and application process. In Malaysia, the 
researcher searched for and identified host parents/families, drew up the detailed 
itinerary, contacted organisations which were willing to support the programme and 
sought support from other community leaders who could sponsor activities and events 
in their different locations. By the grace of Allah, nothing untoward happened to any of 
the visiting Japanese students and they safely returned to Japan on the final day of the 
programme. 
In the next chapter, the researcher will reflect on whether or not the findings have 
answered the research questions and achieved the objectives of the study. Also, the 
researcher will state if this study has contributed to the current studies of cultural 
exchange programmes and studies of the Concept of Al-ta’āruf . Comments and 
suggestions for future studies will also be presented.