Defiant protests in Tokyo as believers voice their outrage against “unprecedented” faith suppression that violates international law
Tokyo, 21st March 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.
“Dissolution Request Violates International Law”
Second-Generation Family Federation Believers Protest
by the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
prepared by Knut Holdhus
On 20th March, a protest was held in front of JR Shibuya Station in Tokyo against the request of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to dissolve the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church). Second-generation believers of the Family Federation did street preaching, arguing that “a dissolution order based on civil law violations is a breach of international law.”
A male believer in his 20s, affiliated with a place of worship in Tokyo, stated that he had chosen the faith of his own free will. He acknowledged that “the Family Federation is viewed as a problematic organization by society,” but urged people “not to judge based on biased media coverage or selective information. Please listen to the voices of active believers like us.”
A second-generation believer in his 50s questioned, “Why must the Family Federation be dissolved? Very few people can provide a clear answer.” He criticized the justification for the dissolution, which cited harm to public order and morals, as “vague and unconvincing”. He argued that the dissolution request violates international law and warned that “the Japanese government must not set a precedent of dissolving a religious organization for unjust reasons.”
Featured image above: A second-generation Family Federation believer street preaching – 20th March 2025, Shibuya, Tokyo. Photo: Reiwa Kato (加藤玲和)