An investigative journalist claims that authorities submitting fabricated evidence and the court basing its verdict on assumptions, not evidence, indicate that the dissolution of a large religious organisation was politically orchestrated and had to take place, no matter what
Tokyo, 5th March 2026 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.
“Unjust State-Driven Trial – Protect the Human Rights of Believers”
Opinion Piece by Well-Known Nonfiction Writer
by Masumi Fukuda (福田ますみ), investigative journalist and award-winning Japanese author.
Prepared by Knut Holdhus
When the first-instance decision was issued on 25th March last year, it seems that quite a few believers never imagined that a dissolution order would actually be handed down. However, I had long said at gatherings and elsewhere that we could by no means be optimistic. After reviewing many records of lawsuits concerning large donations to the religious organisation, I noticed numerous unjust rulings that forced the organisation to lose for unreasonable reasons. Unfortunately, my fears proved correct. Yet the content of this decision was truly terrible.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) acknowledges that there has been almost no damage since the compliance declaration and has even fabricated evidence by falsifying and altering written statements from former believers. However, this fabrication was exposed in court, and the court could no longer adopt these materials as evidence. As a result, the grounds for dissolution effectively ceased to exist. In response, the court – apparently anxious that it must dissolve the organisation no matter what – resorted to speculating about damage.
Even though it acknowledged that harm had significantly decreased after the compliance declaration [See editor’s note 1 below], the court simply assumed that there must still be latent, hidden damage.
Furthermore, it went so far as to judge that settlements and negotiated agreements themselves constituted illegal acts. I am not a legal expert, but even so, I was stunned by this acrobatic stretch of logic. It has reached the level of mere fault-finding and nitpicking.
Even after the case moved to the High Court, I had a pessimistic view: if the High Court inherited such irrational reasoning, then no matter how strong the Unification Church’s arguments were, it would have no chance of winning. However, according to what I heard indirectly, the High Court judges asked MEXT to “present concrete evidence in accordance with the principle of trial by evidence”, yet MEXT did not produce any new evidence. Hearing this gave me a glimmer of hope. Nevertheless, the High Court ultimately issued a decision that followed the first instance ruling.
Even I, who am not a believer, was truly shocked. Japan’s judiciary issued this decision with the clear intention that the Family Federation must be dissolved, ignoring even the proper procedures (due process) guaranteed by the Constitution. Just like the first instance ruling, there is no doubt that this is a politically driven trial.
This is no longer merely a problem affecting a single religious organisation. By making such an unjust and extra-legal decision, a precedent has been created in which an unpopular group can be crushed by force. I have even heard people say that the next target might be Soka Gakkai [See editor’s note 2 below] or others. This would constitute clear religious persecution and would shake the very foundations of the rule of law.
What is most worrying, however, is discrimination and persecution against the believers themselves. A situation is approaching in which believers – who have committed no crime – may be chased away as if they were criminals. The fundamental human rights that Japanese citizens normally enjoy are now at risk of being taken away. I believe the organisation must urgently demand that the government strongly protect and safeguard the human rights of its believers.
Featured image above: Masumi Fukuda (福田ますみ), investigative journalist and award-winning Japanese author. Photo: Sekai Nippo
[Editor’s note 1: 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 organisation 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 organisation an enemy. These issues led to multiple lawsuits orchestrated by the activist lawyers and significant media backlash. This prompted the organisation to take measures to restore its reputation and demonstrate compliance with legal and ethical standards.
The religious organisation 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 the evangelisation 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 organisation has used this as evidence that it has improved its practices and should not be subject to dissolution.]
[Editor’s note 2: Soka Gakkai, a global lay Buddhist organisation originating in Japan, aims to create an “ideal world” based on the principles of Nichiren Buddhism, which emphasises individual empowerment, inner transformation, and societal harmony. Their vision is often framed as kosen-rufu, meaning the widespread propagation of Buddhist values to establish peace and happiness for all.
Soka Gakkai promotes peace, culture, and education through initiatives that focus on personal transformation (human revolution) – the belief that changing oneself positively impacts society; peace activism – anti-nuclear campaigns, human rights advocacy, and interfaith dialogue; education – institutions like Soka University emphasize value creation and global citizenship; community engagement – social welfare programs, disaster relief, and environmental sustainability efforts.
To actualise these ideals in governance, Soka Gakkai founded the Komeito party in 1964 (now known as New Komeito or simply Komeito). The party’s purpose was to translate Buddhist-based humanistic values into public policy. While legally separate from Soka Gakkai, Komeito has long been backed by members of Soka Gakkai and focuses on peace-oriented diplomacy (e.g., supporting Japan’s pacifist constitution); social welfare policies (benefiting education, healthcare, and the elderly), and grassroots democracy (reflecting the voice of ordinary citizens)
Since 1999, Komeito has been a coalition partner with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), influencing policies while maintaining a centrist stance.
Despite its contributions, Soka Gakkai’s political role has been controversial, with critics accusing it of blurring the lines between religion and politics. Some also argue that Komeito’s alliance with the conservative LDP compromises its original pacifist ideals.
Soka Gakkai envisions an ideal world through personal empowerment, education, and political engagement. While its approach is rooted in Buddhist ethics, its political involvement remains a complex and debated issue.]