Japanese man Kanehara converts to Islam

A 31-year-old Japanese man, Kazuki Süleyman Kanehara, who became Muslim through a Turkish friend, said: "The Qur'an is the most beautiful and perfect book ever. I always recommend that those new to Islam or interested in becoming Muslim read the Qur'an. Alhamdulillah, I also made my decision to become Muslim by reading it."

Living in Kyoto, Japan, and having chosen Islam seven years ago, Kanehara now runs a restaurant where he prepares and serves traditional Japanese cuisine in accordance with halal principles.

"MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS THAT MUSLIMS ARE VERY KIND PEOPLE"

Kanehara, who also shares content about Islam on his social media accounts, told Anadolu Agency during a visit to Istanbul about his journey to becoming Muslim.

He said he went to Germany at the age of 19 for university, where he first met Muslim friends: "They were very kind to me. So my first impression was that Muslims are very kind people. Everything I had heard about Muslims in Japan came only from television. Because of movies and similar things, I had an image that Islam was dangerous. But I was never prejudiced."

During his studies, he began researching Islam through his Turkish friend named Ismail:

"Ismail was very patient while teaching me about Islam and became a good role model for me. He was the reason I started thinking about Islam. Even when I was wrong, he always treated me very well. He became like an older brother to me. Later, Ismail introduced me to his teacher, Ramazan. He was living in Osmaniye, Türkiye. We visited him, and I stayed with him and his family. That's when I started learning Islam. Even though we had never met before, my teacher Ramazan welcomed me very warmly. That alone was surprising. Just because I was Ismail's friend, they hosted me in their home. This made me reflect on what they believed and what Islam truly is."