Japan: “Sacrifice to the Nation,” an Extraordinary Book. 2
... Fukuda’s conclusion is disturbing: a system that should have safeguarded citizens instead abandoned them, leaving thousands exposed to crimes committed in the name of “saving” them.
Life Sentence for a Murderer
... The court that tried Yamagami and imposed his life sentence did not find the Unification Church criminally culpable for Abe’s death. It found one individual guilty of murder. Period. Yet far too much coverage devoted a disproportionate share…
Japan: “Sacrifice to the Nation,” an Extraordinary Book. 1
... the true nature of the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales—and the reality behind the term they created and weaponized against the Family Federation “spiritual sales”—has never been adequately investigated.
When Special Prosecutors Become Political Tools
... the situation offers a cautionary example of how legal mechanisms designed to protect democracy can, if overused or politicized, contribute to deeper institutional mistrust and prolonged political conflict rather than accountability and reform.
At Issue: Religions Taking Reality Seriously
... This controversy is not caused by irrational belief or theological impurity. On the contrary, the problem is that event religions are very realistic. They intrude into areas that societies tend to guard carefully: marriage,…
The Case Japan Didn’t Want to Reopen: Fumihiro Kato Re-Reads the Yamagami Tragedy
... The real scandal is not what the Unification Church did, but what the media refused to see: a family destroyed not by doctrine but by illness, violence, miscommunication, and a deluded son who mistook…
Expert: “Is Dissolution Framework Constitutional?”
... A special law that singles out only one religious corporation for disadvantage must never be enacted under the banner of the rule of law, legal governance, or a law-based state.
Not Church-State Collusion, but Church-State Partnership
... the debate is not merely about one religious organization or one country. It raises a universal question for pluralistic societies: can we distinguish principled secular governance from selective suspicion, and cooperation for the common…
Interview with Masumi Fukuda, author of “Sacrifice of the Nation”
... As if an invisible press code now blankets society as a whole, the media has stopped even attempting neutral reporting on the Family Federation. This is because there is blatant speech suppression by MEXT,…
Yamagami and the Unification Church: The Trial, the Fact‑Checker, and the Media Mirage
... The assassin wanted to damage the Unification Church by ensuring his motive was understood. The media, by distorting his life story, have helped Yamagami achieve his aim but have damaged something else: the public’s…