Beyond the headlines: 2nd-gen believers push back against court’s decision in dissolution case
Tokyo, 27th March 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.
by Yasuhiro Uno (宇野 泰弘)
Prepared by Knut Holdhus
see here as well: Youth Fear State’s Robbery of Places of Worship
- “We want people to know the true state of the Family Federation.”
- “The voices of active believers like us are not being heard at all.”
On 26th March, the day after the Tokyo District Court issued a dissolution order against the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church), nine second-generation believers and their lawyer, Shinichi Tokunaga, held a press conference in Tokyo, expressing their earnest desire to have their voices heard.
The Association organized the press conference to Protect the Human Rights of Believers’ Children, led by Nozomi Kojima (小嶌希晶). Initially, four speakers were scheduled to attend, but as more people voiced their wish to participate, the number gradually increased. Among them was a male believer who traveled all the way from Osaka.
Kojima explained that, following the court’s decision, they had prepared a petition to submit to the Tokyo High Court to make their voices heard. However, they are also exploring other ways to engage more effectively and directly.
One participant shared, “I was extremely shocked by the court’s decision. Under these criteria, even my religious group could be affected. Within our community, we are already feeling a sense of crisis. In today’s Japan, it has become increasingly difficult for religious believers to live freely.”
He revealed that after the dissolution order was reported, a friend belonging to another religious group called to express concern.
Kana Imanaka (今中華奈), 29, who shares videos online about the lives of Family Federation believers, reflected on the situation, saying, “We should have done more to convey how the organization has been changing through our compliance declaration.” [See editor’s note below]
Her husband, Seima Imanaka (今中誠真), also 29, expressed his determination to continue sharing the reality of the church that the media does not cover.
The press conference lasted an hour, including a Q&A session. Many second-generation believers were also present among the reporters’ seats. None of them looked down; instead, they spoke with confidence, facing forward with unwavering determination.
The previous day’s press conference at the religious organization’s headquarters had been tense, but the expressions of the second-generation believers made it clear that they were strengthening their resolve and unity in the face of the crisis.
[Editor’s note: The 2009 compliance declaration of the Unification Church of Japan (now the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) was a formal commitment by the organization to reform its practices in response to longstanding public criticism and legal challenges.
The Unification Church in Japan had faced numerous allegations related to recruitment tactics and donation solicitation, termed “spiritual sales” (霊感商法) by a hostile network of activist lawyers who had declared the religious organization an enemy. These issues led to multiple lawsuits orchestrated by the activist lawyers and significant media backlash. This prompted the organization to take measures to restore its reputation and demonstrate compliance with legal and ethical standards.
The religious organization pledged to stop possibly unethical donation practices, including what the hostile network of lawyers claimed amounted to “pressuring members into making large financial contributions under spiritual pretexts.”
This was in response to accusations from the same activist lawyers that followers “were being manipulated into giving away substantial amounts of money or property.”
The Unification Church stated it would enhance internal oversight to ensure compliance with ethical and legal standards. Measures included better training for leaders and stricter guidelines for evangelization and solicitation of donations.
After this compliance declaration, there was a significant decrease in the number of lawsuits against the Unification Church – since 2015 called the Family Federation. The religious organization has used this as evidence that it has improved its practices and should not be subject to dissolution.]
Featured image above: A second-generation believer answers a reporter’s question – 26th March 2025, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. Photo: Yasuhiro Uno (宇野 泰弘)