President Tanaka of the Family Federation in Japan shares about the persecution and creating family peace in a movement devoted to world peace
Tokyo, 30th November 2024 – Published as the 44th article in a series in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. (Original article: One, Two, Three)
“The government has crossed a line”: Kishida cuts ties without providing grounds
An interview with Tomihiro Tanaka (田中富広), President of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in Japan
by the Religious Freedom Investigative Team of the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
Prepared by Knut Holdhus
Question: It has been reported that Tetsuya Yamagami (山上徹也), the suspect in the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三), stated that his motive for the crime was linked to the substantial donations his mother made to the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) after becoming a member. How do you respond to the suggestion that the circumstances of members’ families contributed to this tragic incident?
Answer: The core of the Family Federation, as its name suggests, is that it places great emphasis on the family. In that sense, it is truly heartbreaking if the defendant Yamagami committed such an act due to his family environment. Since no trial has been held, we still do not know his true motive. However, if it is indeed the case that the incident [Editor’s note: the assassination of Shinzo Abe] was caused by family circumstances, I believe there are aspects of our organization that we must reflect on and improve.
However, as an organization, there are many areas we need to reconsider and improve, and these past two and a half years have made us reflect deeply.
Q: What have you thought about over these two and a half years?
A: I feel that Japanese democracy is starting to crumble. Religious freedom itself is also starting to collapse. I was reminded once again that Japanese society is silently ignoring this.
In Japan, both religious freedom and democracy are givens, and I feel that we are a country that has come this far without ever truly discussing what religious freedom and democracy are.
Q: In October of last year, the government requested the Tokyo District Court to issue a dissolution order against the Family Federation as a religious corporation.
A: I believe this is unjust, and I feel the government has crossed a certain line. The environment surrounding the Family Federation has completely changed since the incident occurred. There has been a relentless wave of critical media coverage, and I think it has been very difficult for our members.
If you ask where this all originated, there’s only one answer: the Prime Minister’s declaration to sever ties. At the time, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in his capacity as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, stated, “We will not associate with organizations that are socially problematic.”
Although he made this comment as party president and not as Prime Minister, in Japan, the president of the Liberal Democratic Party is effectively the Prime Minister. As a result, this declaration was perceived by the public as a statement from the government.
However, while saying “socially problematic”, not once did he clarify what the problem actually was. He reportedly met with former members of the organization but not with any current members. In a sense, the grounds for severing ties were left to others. In other words, it wasn’t a decision he made himself but rather one influenced by society’s claim that there was a problem. If that’s the case, is the government applying the same standard to every organization? I don’t think so.
Q: In a past interview with Kyodo News, you mentioned that there were areas where the organization lacked consideration for families. Why do you think such a situation arose within a group that teaches the importance of the family?
A: As may be the case with any religion during its early stages, ours initially – just to make it extremely clear – leaned towards a form of monasticism. Religions that start with a monastic focus (centered on monks/nuns), over time, evolve – like Theravāda Buddhism changed into Mahāyāna Buddhism. [See editor’s note below]
In the case of the Family Federation in Japan, this year marks the 60th anniversary since its registration as a religious corporation and the 65th anniversary since its first worship service.
While we have upheld a vision of family peace, community peace, national peace, and world peace, with the family being the core of our teachings, during the early years, many of our senior members devoted themselves to overseas missions.
These members often prioritized the goal of world peace over their own families and set out on global missions with a strong sense of purpose. Among many members who shared this mindset, there was a tendency to lose balance, which led to irregularities (歪) within their families.
Looking ahead, we need to redirect the passion that our members have poured into world peace. We need to redirect it toward their families and communities. This shift represents a crucial point of transformation for the organization.
Reflecting on this, if there are people who have suffered as a result, I believe it is my duty as president to sincerely apologize. That is why I spoke on this topic.
Q: Members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) have been confined in locked rooms for extended periods and forcibly coerced into leaving the faith. This is commonly referred to as the issue of abduction, confinement, and forced renunciation. Many members have been affected by these actions. What are your thoughts on this, and what measures are being taken?
A: When I assumed the role of president, I was shocked to learn how many people had been coerced into renouncing their faith while being abducted and confined. There are several of them at the Family Federation headquarters. To hear their stories and develop countermeasures, I have been engaging directly with prominent victims, such as Toru Goto (後 藤 徹). He was held captive by his family for 12 years and 5 months and won a civil lawsuit after his release.
Of approximately 4,300 victims, 30% have returned to the church, but 70% have left. Those who returned still bear deep emotional scars, including strained relationships with their family, and suffering from ongoing PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). They are far from being restored to their state before they were abducted and held captive.
Among those who have returned, some feel sympathy for others who were victimized and maintain contact with those who did not come back. These individuals do not necessarily harbor resentment toward the religious organization itself. However, they have endured separation and estrangement from their families, and in their life today they strive to repair these relationships. The effort required for such reconciliation has been immense.
Yet, because of this, and even if they were the ones harmed, many victims cannot speak out within their own families about their experiences of abduction and confinement.
What I can say with certainty is that such acts are absolutely unacceptable. In the early days, there were cases where members were forcibly confined in psychiatric hospitals or locked in prepared apartments against their will. From the moment their own family or relatives engaged in such abduction and confinement, it unavoidably resulted in tragedy. Even when victims of such actions approached the police, their cases were dismissed as “family matters”, and no action was taken.
Professional faith-breakers who pressure individuals into renouncing their religion after orchestrating their abduction and confinement lead parents down a most inhumane path from a human rights perspective, completely destroying the parent-child relationship.
This issue was highlighted in a report submitted to the United Nations by French attorney Patricia Duval. The UN Human Rights Committee has notified the Japanese government three times that abduction and forced renunciation constitute violations of freedom of religion and human rights. However, Japan has ignored these warnings on all three occasions, presenting an alarming image to the international community.
Q: Is there any criticism that your advocacy of religious freedom is purely for the benefit of the religious organization?
A: Human rights activists around the world mobilize for issues such as Tibet and the Uyghurs, so it is not enough for a religious organization to just shout about its own human rights. We need to be prepared to seriously address the religious freedom of other religions as well. I also feel that people expect us to properly face up to such issues and get involved.
Q: Due to its origins as a new religion from South Korea, some media outlets criticize the organization as being “anti-Japanese”.
A: While our stance as “anti-communist” has become well-known, the label of “anti-Japanese” has been unfairly applied to us, obscuring the truth of our mission. To address your question directly, we are unequivocally not anti-Japanese. Our founder, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, clearly taught, “One cannot love the world without loving one’s own nation.”
The vision of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in Japan reflects this teaching:
- Creating happy families that live for the sake of others.
- Building churches that coexist with their local communities.
- Establishing a Family Federation that contributes to both the nation and the world.
There is no basis for the term “anti-Japanese” in our mission or vision. If critics wish to cite Reverend Moon‘s teachings, they should also acknowledge his numerous pro-Japan statements. This is my honest request.
Q: As a result of the government’s request for the dissolution order, many believers interviewed by this newspaper have been criticized and discriminated against by those around them. There were also voices calling for the religious organization to provide mental care to second-generation believers who are particularly hurt.
A: There are likely various areas where people have been hurt, and we may not fully understand what the best form of mental health care is. However, we must do what we can. One initiative the organization undertook, albeit belatedly after this incident [Editor’s note: the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三) in July 2022], is the establishment of “Certified Family Counselors”. Around 1,450 individuals have registered after completing organizational training, and we have created a system where members can request consultations through a dedicated app.
In the past, people might have thought, “If my consultation gets reported back to the staff in charge of my group, it’s better not to say anything.” Now, individuals can make appointments on their own and even specify the person they want to consult with.
However, for members who have been hurt and distanced themselves from the group, the most critical aspect is likely the organization’s culture itself. I feel the best way forward is to demonstrate how the culture of the organization has changed.
Q: Although the organization issued a compliance declaration in 2009, wasn’t the reform insufficiently thorough?
A: I acknowledge that it was inadequate. I feel the church’s approach to families was lacking. The failure to adequately address this in our education efforts hindered reform.
In 2009, the organization issued a compliance declaration
This declaration emphasized that members must not be pressured to donate out of fear or anxiety related to ancestral issues and that no donations should exceed what is reasonable given a person’s financial situation. We repeatedly gave guidance on these points and insisted on transparency in evangelism by identifying the organization from the outset. As a result, the number of lawsuits dropped significantly.
Since the compliance declaration, there have been only four civil lawsuits filed by former members involving donations, all before 2016. No such lawsuits have occurred since then.
Even so, we have been criticized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for “not adequately educating on compliance”. One of MEXT’s questions, as part of its exercise of inquiry rights, was: “Provide proof of compliance education.” We have submitted substantial evidence, including compliance education topics from national conferences, lecture outlines, and official documents circulated nationwide.
Q: Are you investigating the progress of organizational reforms?
A: Our reform efforts are centered on two main pillars:
1. Urgent measures:
When accepting donations, we ensure they are not funded by loans, tied to disputes, or likely to harm family life. Both the organization and the individual must be mutually satisfied before any donation is made. This has been a major focus due to significant public scrutiny.
Regarding donations, we have fundamentally changed our practices. We introduced strict guidelines to ensure compliance, strengthened verification processes, and now issue official receipts to donors.
2. Cultural transformation:
Without a shift in culture, there is no future. We aim for fundamental reform to establish an open and transparent organization. This is not something that can be achieved overnight, but we are committed to this vision as a major pillar of our efforts.
Currently, second-generation members have taken on leadership roles, with one-third of regional leaders nationwide being second-generation members. Their approaches to engaging with members, managing families, operating the organization, and conducting meetings reflect a new era for the organization.
This marks a significant transformation for our community and its culture.
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[Editor’s note: Theravāda Buddhism and Mahāyāna Buddhism both trace their origins to early Indian Buddhism, but they represent different streams of thought and practice that developed over time:
Theravāda: This tradition is associated with the Sthavira (Elder) school, one of the early Buddhist monastic communities. It preserved what it regarded as the original teachings of the Buddha, as codified in the Pāli Canon. Theravāda is prominent in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia).
Mahayana: Emerging around the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD, Mahāyāna developed as a movement within the broader Buddhist community, emphasizing the bodhisattva path – dedication to achieving enlightenment not just for oneself but for all sentient beings. It introduced new scriptures (e.g., the Mahāyāna sūtras) and philosophical developments (e.g., Madhyamaka and Yogācāra).
Mahāyāna often regards itself as a “greater vehicle” (the literal meaning of Mahāyāna) that builds upon and transcends the teachings preserved in Theravāda and other early schools. However, Theravāda does not consider Mahāyāna teachings as part of the Buddha’s original teachings.
Theravāda focus: Emphasis on personal liberation (nirvāṇa) through the Eightfold Path, following the example of the arhat.
Mahāyāna focus: Emphasis on universal salvation through the bodhisattva ideal, which aims to liberate all beings. Mahāyāna also introduced more expansive metaphysical concepts like śūnyatā (emptiness) and Buddha-nature.]