Accused of overstating victim claims, activist legal groups press for full liquidation of Family Federation’s assets as the day of the verdict in the appeal hearings draws closer
Tokyo, 27th June 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.
[Series] Where Will the Believers Go? The Issue of the Family Federation’s Dissolution and Its Corporate Facilities (Church Properties) (Part 4)
Review of Asset Liquidation Has Begun
The Moves of the National Network of Lawyers “Must Not Be Allowed”
by the Religious Freedom Investigative Team of the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
prepared by Knut Holdhus
The Suginami Church of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) holds charity bazaars two to three times a year. Part of the church’s parking lot, visible from the street, becomes part of the venue, and local residents regularly participate, making it a lively festival-like event.
Before each bazaar, church members visit about 200 homes in the surrounding area to distribute flyers asking for donations of goods. A female believer in her 60s, recounting her experience, said, “In most cases, people accept the flyers kindly.”
She explained that ever since the church moved into its owned building 15 years ago, they’ve made an effort to foster good relationships with the community, aiming to be an “open church”.
However, in July 2022, after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三) was fatally shot during an election campaign speech, reports emerged that the suspect’s mother was a member of the religious organization. This caused a sense of alarm to arise within the organization. On 31st August of that year, right after the Liberal Democratic Party declared it was severing ties with the organization, nuisance phone calls began to come in. Loudspeaker vans from right-wing groups also blasted critical messages. These disturbances soon subsided.
But in March of this year – two years and eight months after the assassination – the Tokyo District Court issued a dissolution order for the Family Federation. The organization immediately appealed, and the case is currently under review at the Tokyo High Court.
Meanwhile, on 28th May, the Agency for Cultural Affairs held a meeting to consider procedures for asset liquidation after the dissolution. Topics under consideration include:
- Investigating the religious organization’s financial status
- Compensating victims of unlawful activities
- Respecting the religious organization’s freedom of religion
Aiming to issue guidelines around the fall, Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Akio Fujiwara (藤原章夫), reportedly stated, “The liquidator must consider both victim relief and religious freedom. I urge careful and specific deliberation.”
However, in the lead-up to the Ministry’s request for dissolution, the religious organization claims its side was not heard, nor was there any sign that the petitions gathered from believers were taken into account. Observing what they view as a one-sided dissolution process, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) issued on 20th February an “Opinion Paper Calling for Legislative Measures for Liquidation after the Dissolution Order”, calling for legislative measures to enhance the authority of liquidators. On 25th February, they also held a joint study session with the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales (Zenkoku Benren) at the House of Representatives’ Second Office Building for Legislators.
Regarding these legislative efforts, lawyer Tatsuki Nakayama (中山達樹), who opposes the government’s move to dissolve the Family Federation, commented: “This is an attempt to seize all the assets of the religious organization. It must not be allowed.”
The Family Federation has about 300 churches nationwide, and according to the organization‘s public relations department, “the number of corporate locations (churches and training facilities) is 108.” Each of these corporate churches was actually built by grassroots believers who wanted to have their own church in the area where they live, rather than renting one, and who used donations to build it. For many, these churches embody their devotion.
The Ministry cited damages involving approximately 1,550 people and totaling 20.4 billion yen (including out-of-court settlements) as grounds for dissolution. The religious organization issued a compliance declaration [See editor’s note below] in 2009, and a 42-year-old male staff member at the Suginami Church, who joined the Family Federation later, said: “I believe the religious organization had shortcomings and caused harm in the past. But it’s also true that the organization has changed and now values what society values. That gave me hope.”
He also expressed the emotional significance of the Family Federation’s facilities: “To active believers, the church is more than just a building. It’s a place that replenishes their spiritual energy. If churches disappear, believers will be left adrift. We want people to understand that we need these churches.”
Featured image above: Scene from the Suginami Church Bazaar in November 2023. Photo: FFWPU / Provided by the church, partially edited.
[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.]