Raising alarms over fairness in Japan’s judiciary, religious leader questions the troubling dissolution of Tokyo, 2nd May 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.
Instilling Hatred and Trauma Through “Deprogramming”
The Dark World of Deprogramming Spreading Amid the Move to Dissolve the Family Federation (7)
Contributed by Haruhisa Nakagawa (中川晴久), Executive Secretary, Tokyo Institute for Christian Theology (Part 1)
Prepared by Knut Holdhus
What triggered the Tokyo subway sarin attack
The process from the request to the court ruling for the dissolution of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) was astoundingly opaque. Serious issues – such as evidence fabrication by the Ministry of Education, the reality of harm caused by deprogramming (anti-brainwashing programs), and the impact of political pressure – were all disregarded as the court delivered its verdict. Such a closed process infringes upon the public’s right to know and undermines trust in the judiciary.
The dissolution order against the Family Federation is more than just a matter concerning a single religious group – it is a litmus test for the transparency and fairness of Japan’s legal and political systems. As a constitutional state, Japan must apply the law objectively and fairly, not respond emotionally by targeting specific groups.
The Tokyo District Court‘s decision to dissolve the Family Federation was highly unusual, involving political pressure, falsified evidence, neglect of harm caused by deprogramming (faith-breaking) [See editor’s note below], and non-public hearings. Ignoring these issues not only erodes judicial trust but also has serious implications for religious freedom and human rights.
Although the doctrines and nature of Aum Shinrikyo (オウム真理教) and the Family Federation are completely different, both have been labeled as “cults” and targeted by the “deprogramming (faith-breaking) network”.
The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack is remembered as a terrorist act by Aum Shinrikyo that has left deep scars on Japanese society. However, one of the complex factors believed to be involved in the background of this incident is the role of deprogramming (faith-breaking) [See editor’s note below].
Religious scholar Toshihiro Ota (大田俊寛) has emphasized the need to investigate the “possibility” that deprogramming contributed to Aum’s radicalization. Ota is also author of The Spiritual History of Aum Shinrikyo. While conducting interviews with people involved after the incident, he was concerned that no one had spoken about the deprogramming factor behind the Aum incident. Now that 30 years have passed since the incident, it is worth paying attention to once again.
Naturally, Aum Shinrikyo’s escalation toward anti-state ideology and sarin attacks involved multiple intertwined factors. Nevertheless, the psychological trauma inflicted on Aum followers through deprogramming (faith-breaking) may have intensified their paranoia and aggression. This possibility cannot be ignored.
Attorney Yoshinobu Aoyama (青山吉伸), who served as Aum Shinrikyo’s legal advisor, wrote in his books The Lawyer of Truth Fights On!! and Fascism Has Already Begun (published by Aum Publishing) that Aum followers were severely tormented by abduction, confinement, and forced renunciation of their faith.
These reports reached Aum’s leader Shoko Asahara (麻原彰晃). As someone who tended to overreact to external pressure, it is plausible that the forced indoctrination and trauma inflicted on followers planted deep hatred and paranoia in him, which could have worsened his delusions of persecution. This possibility warrants serious investigation.
That such a critical factor like deprogramming (faith-breaking) [See editor’s note below] is missing from public debate, and the full picture of the incident remains unclear, raises questions about the role of scholars of religious studies. Reactions to deprogramming vary among individuals and don’t necessarily lead to anti-social behavior. Therefore, while it is difficult to establish a direct causal link, examining its potential impact is essential.
Featured image above: Haruhisa Nakagawa (中川晴久) – After withdrawing from Waseda University’s School of Letters, Arts and Sciences I, Haruhisa Nakagawa (中川晴久) dedicated his life to church service. In 2007, he became the head pastor of the Christian Church of the Lord’s Sheep. In 2008, he joined the Tokyo Franciscan Study Group (now the Tokyo Institute for Christian Theology). He is an editorial board member of the Christian opinion site SALTY, and president of the Japan Christian Theological Seminary. Photo: Sekai Nippo
[Editor’s note: Coercive faith-breaking (“deprogramming”) in Japan refers to the practice of coercively attempting to separate individuals from their religious affiliations or beliefs, typically through intervention by family members, professional faith-breakers (deprogrammers) or organizations hostile to new religious movements (NRMs). This phenomenon often targets members of such movements, e.g. relatively large faiths like the Family Federation or Jehovah’s Witnesses, but also smaller groups like Happy Science (Kōfuku no Kagaku) and other newer religious movements.
However, also Soka Gakkai, a Buddhist-based lay organization with more than 8 million Japanese members, and affiliated with Nichiren Buddhism, has occasionally been subject to faith-breaking attempts.
The practice gained attention in the latter half of the 20th century, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s. Parents or concerned family members often hired faith-breakers who taught them how to abduct and forcibly detain believers. Almost all such cases involved confining the individual believer and cutting him or her off from the religious community. During the confinement, the believer was subjected to intense questioning or indoctrination designed to break his or her faith. The aim was to “rescue” the person from what the family often had been tricked by faith-breakers or lawyers to regard as harmful influence from the religious organization.
Critics of forced de-conversion argue that it violates fundamental human rights, including freedom of thought, religion, and association. Reports of psychological trauma and accusations of unlawful detention have sparked debates over its ethical and legal implications. In response, some religious groups, particularly NRMs, have lobbied for greater protections against such practices.
Japanese courts have been inconsistent in addressing cases of coercive faith-breaking. While some verdicts have condemned the practice as illegal detention, others have been more lenient, citing family concerns about “mental health” or alleged “exploitation” as mitigating factors.]