Japanese Doctor of Medicine reveals how criminal set-up organized his abduction, confinement, and attempted faith-breaking
Tokyo, 19th December 2024 – Published as the 52nd article in a series in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article
The Media’s Silence on Forced Renunciation of Faith
Abduction and Confinement Becoming More Malicious and Sophisticated
by the Religious Freedom Investigative Team of the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
prepared by Knut Holdhus
There is an issue regarding the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly known as the Unification Church) that Japan’s media has considered taboo and failed to report: the forced renunciation of faith through abduction and confinement of the organization’s members.
“It is absolutely unacceptable as parents, siblings, or relatives to allow you to participate in and act on behalf of a criminal group like the Unification Church. […] We have prepared a separate place where we can talk without interference. Let’s discuss it thoroughly there.”
In June 1992, Hirohisa Koide (小出浩久), a 29-year-old doctor, was summoned back to his family home by his mother. He found himself surrounded by nearly 20 relatives, with his father starting the conversation with the above declaration.
Despite having a prior obligation with staff at the hospital where he worked, Koide attempted to inform them before heading to the “discussion place”. However, everyone present firmly refused, unanimously saying, “Absolutely not!” Sensing the abnormal atmosphere, Koide tried to leave but was immediately subdued. “At that moment, the male relatives jumped on me, carried me out of the house, and forced me into a van parked outside.”
Koide first encountered the teachings of the Family Federation in September 1983 during his time as a medical student, through a close friend. This led him to adopt the faith. After graduating in March 1988, completing his residency, and beginning work at a Tokyo hospital in 1990, he continued his faith practices.
However, in June 1992, he was abducted by his parents and relatives and confined in a series of apartments, completely isolated from the outside world, for nearly two years. During this time, he was pressured to abandon his faith.
His ordeal is meticulously documented in “Escape from the ‘Kidnappers’: A Doctor’s Testimony of Enduring Two Years of Illegal Confinement” (Kogensha), first published in November 1996 and revised in September 2023. The opening excerpt summarizes the events leading to his abduction.
According to the religious organization, the practice of forcing members to renounce their faith through abduction and confinement began in 1966 with Pastor Satoshi Moriyama (森山諭) of the Ogikubo Glory Church (荻窪栄光教会). From the 1980s to 1999, this occurred at an annual rate of over 80 cases (except for 55 cases in 1997). By 2020, this practice had been carried out for more than 50 years, totaling over 4,300 cases.
Of these cases, “70% of the individuals left the church” (as reported by Tomihiro Tanaka (田中富広), President of the Family Federation in Japan, in this newspaper on 2nd December 2024). Even considering that some individuals were abducted multiple times, an overwhelming number of people were forced to change the course of their lives through abduction and confinement. Those who maintained their faith were left deeply scarred.
This enormous violation of human rights – particularly freedom of religion, freedom of thought, and personal liberty – persisted within Japan for over half a century, a reality that cannot be taken lightly.
Initially, the method involved confining believers in church facilities for a few days to a week while pastors attempted to persuade them. However, as the practice expanded nationwide, so-called “faith-breakers” emerged, making a business out of forced renunciations. The methods became increasingly malicious and sophisticated.
By the winter of 1987, a nearly systematic process had developed:
- Parental education →
- Abduction and confinement →
- Persuasion and coercion to renounce faith →
- Expression of intent to leave the church →
- Confirmation of withdrawal →
- Release from confinement →
- Participation in “rehabilitative activities,” such as assisting in persuading others or lawsuits against the church.
Hirohisa Koide was abducted in 1992, the year with the highest number of cases (375 – see featured image above), occurring at a pace of over one per day. He experienced the system almost to its final stage, including two instances of “fake renunciation,” before returning to the church.
Koide encountered key figures involved in his forced renunciation, such as Takashi Miyamura (宮村峻), a faith-breaker who directly coerced him; Yasutomo Matsunaga (松永堡智), a Christian pastor; former church members who collaborated with these individuals; journalist Yoshifu Arita (有田芳生 – now a member of the House of Representatives for the Constitutional Democratic Party); and lawyers Hiroshi Yamaguchi (山口広) and Masaki Kito (紀藤正樹) of the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales. These individuals actively participated in the abduction and confinement process. Koide even spoke and acted with them during his confinement, making him uniquely familiar with the full extent of this system.
These individuals, who became vocal critics of the Family Federation and frequently appeared in the media, were directly involved in the abduction system. This may explain why media outlets, dependent on their information, have hesitated to cover the issue critically.
Despite the claims detailed in Koide’s book, “Escape from the ‘Kidnappers’: A Doctor’s Testimony of Enduring Two Years of Illegal Confinement” (Kogensha) – first published 28 years ago and never the subject of a lawsuit for defamation or falsehood – no legal actions have been taken against him.
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Featured image above: Overview of the number of cases where members of the Family Federation / Unification Church have become victims of abduction and confinement. Illustration: Sekai Nippo