Japanese Court Orders Unification Church’s Dissolution

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    In a significant ruling on Tuesday, the Tokyo District Court ordered the dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan, following a government petition related to the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The sect, originally based in South Korea, may face challenges as it considers an appeal against the court’s decision which could strip it of tax privileges and require the liquidation of its assets. This move comes after Japan’s Education Ministry sought the dissolution in 2023, highlighting concerns over the sect’s aggressive fundraising and recruiting strategies that reportedly disrupted the lives of its followers and their families.

    According to national broadcaster NHK, the court cited extensive and ongoing issues within the church, concluding that voluntary reform was unlikely and thus necessitated the dissolution order. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed satisfaction with the court’s acknowledgment of the government’s stance, emphasizing continued efforts to aid the church’s victims.

    While the Japanese branch of the church condemned the action as an infringement on religious liberties and followers’ human rights, the church issued a statement decrying the court’s decision as unfortunate and erroneous, asserting it was rooted in a faulty legal interpretation.

    Tomihiro Tanaka, leader of the church’s Japanese branch, voiced strong objections at a news conference, alleging governmental misconduct in fabricating allegations of harm and insisted the church is not as malevolent as portrayed. The court’s directive follows revelations from Abe’s assassination probe about longstanding ties between the church and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, reportedly dating back to the 1960s under Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, during anti-communist endeavors.

    The suspect in Abe’s murder reportedly harbored resentment toward the church, blaming it for his family’s financial distress. Officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, this church becomes the first religious entity facing dissolution under Japan’s civil code for such issues. Previous instances involved criminal allegations, including actions against the Aum Shinrikyo cult responsible for the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack and another group implicated in fraud.

    A push for the church’s dissolution saw the Education Ministry present a substantial body of evidence, featuring over 5,000 documents and testimonies from more than 170 individuals. Authorities and observers note the church’s manipulative influence over its followers, coercing them into buying costly goods and making unaffordable donations, while instilling fear, thus violating religious organization regulations.

    Cultural Affairs Agency data shows settlements totaling over 20 billion yen ($132 million) for more than 1,500 individuals. Lawyers for compensation claimants regarded the court’s measure as a promising advancement towards justice. Susumu Murakoshi, leading the legal team, emphasized the importance of pursuing recompense and preventing future issues, demanding the church accept the ruling and compensate all victims.

    Founded in 1954 by the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon in Seoul, the Unification Church promotes family-centric values and novel biblical interpretations. Known colloquially as the “Moonies,” the church has historically allied with conservative figures, including U.S. Presidents Donald Trump, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. During the 1970s and 1980s, it faced allegations of misleading recruitment and coercing adherents into relinquishing substantial income as donations to Rev. Moon. In Japan, it has been implicated in lawsuits over “spiritual merchandise” schemes that pressured members to purchase expensive items or liquidate property for church donations.

    The church admits to past excesses in soliciting donations but claims these have declined since introducing compliance improvements in 2009. Experts indicate that Japanese adherents are encouraged to atone for ancestral transgressions from Japan’s early 20th-century colonization of Korea, and note Japan as a principal source of the church’s global funding.