Tokyo paper: Serious flaws suggest pattern of careless or even deceptive evidence gathering by ministry spearheading state persecution of religious minority the Family Federation
Tokyo, 10th February 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.
[Scoop 2] Evidence for Dissolution Included Without Consent
“No Confirmation,” says Angry Current Member – Former Members of Different Religions Also Included
Allegations of Fabrications in Ministry of Education’s Statements on Family Federation Dissolution Order Request
by the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
Prepared by Knut Holdhus
Concerns have arisen regarding the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and its submission of statements as evidence to the Tokyo District Court in support of a dissolution order for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church). Individuals whose names appear in the submitted evidence have reported to this newspaper that they were neither consulted nor did they provide statements aligning with what was submitted.
A new allegation has surfaced from a person claiming she was unknowingly included as part of the ministry’s evidence for the dissolution order. Additionally, it has come to light that former members of religious groups unrelated to the Family Federation were included as “victims” in the statements. This suggests a pattern of careless or even deceptive evidence gathering by MEXT.
“My words were misused” – a devout member’s anger
Yukie Sugiya (pseudonym), a woman in her 70s living in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and a current member of the Family Federation, says, “I have never been so disrespected. My statements were twisted, and I feel deeply hurt.”
Sugiya, who regularly attends her local church, was shocked to learn last year that court documents she had been involved with were being used as evidence in MEXT’s request for a dissolution order. The documents in question date back to 1988 when former Family Federation members sued the organization in the Sapporo District Court. Sugiya had testified in that case as a witness supporting the Family Federation.
Sugiya was once close to one of the plaintiffs, a former member who had left the organization, claiming its teachings were flawed. However, in her testimony, Sugiya stated that the woman had suddenly become unreachable for about a year, leading her to believe that the real reason for her departure was abduction and confinement by her relatives.
Sugiya testified in court to defend her faith and to expose the reality of coercive faith-breaking through abduction and confinement. Despite this, her testimony has now been submitted as “victim evidence” supporting the dissolution of the Family Federation – without any prior consultation or confirmation from MEXT. She said angrily, “The people trying to dissolve the Family Federation are twisting the narrative in their favor. This is beyond common sense!”
She is now working with the Family Federation to demand that MEXT remove her testimony from its evidence.
Unrelated religious group’s former member also included as a “victim”
Another case has emerged in western Japan, further exposing the flaws in MEXT’s evidence gathering. An investigation into the membership records of a woman who contributed a statement to MEXT found no trace of her ever having been affiliated with the Family Federation.
Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that nearly 20 years ago, the woman had been recruited into a completely different religious organization, Group A, and had made monetary donations there. She had attended a gathering of Group A in a city in western Japan, where she met the group’s leader. Later, she encountered a member of yet another religious group, Group B, and gradually distanced herself from Group A due to the new acquaintance’s influence.
Despite never being a Family Federation member or donating to it, the woman had previously been a notary in a collective legal negotiation against the Family Federation, represented by lawyers affiliated with the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales. It appears these lawyers introduced her to MEXT as a “victim” of the Family Federation.
MEXT officials are expected to verify the backgrounds of those who contribute statements, either through direct interviews or phone calls. If they failed to distinguish between religious organizations, this suggests negligence. If they knowingly included a false victim, it raises serious ethical concerns.
Son’s lawsuit for refund of donations already dismissed
On 21st January 2025, this newspaper reported on a separate case where a believer had voluntarily donated money, only for non-believing family members to later claim the donation was forced and demand a refund. The statement supporting the dissolution order falsely portrayed the believer as a victim.
A similar pattern appears in the case of Hanako Tanaka (pseudonym), a devout believer from the Kansai region. Tanaka actively practiced her faith and made donations until her passing a few years ago. She lived alone but cherished her friendships with fellow believers.
After her death, her estranged son discovered Family Federation books and memorabilia among her belongings. He then filed a lawsuit seeking to reclaim her donations, claiming his mother had been manipulated. However, the court dismissed his claim, ruling that there was no evidence of coercion.
Despite the court rejecting the son’s claim, his statement still appears among the evidence collected by MEXT. This contradicts MEXT’s stated approach of handling the dissolution order request “with caution” and raises concerns about its process, especially given the grave implications of dissolving a religious corporation through closed-door proceedings.
Conclusion
MEXT’s handling of evidence for the dissolution of the Family Federation appears deeply flawed, involving misuse of statements, inclusion of false victims, and lack of verification. If the ministry is indeed fabricating or manipulating testimonies, it calls into question the legitimacy of the entire dissolution request.
Featured image above: Yukie Sugiya (pseudonym) speaks in an interview with the Sekai Nippo in the northern city of Sapporo. Photo: Takahide Ishii (石井孝秀)