Fabricated evidence? Woman denies signing the government’s document presented in court in support of the dissolution of the religious minority, the Family Federation
Tokyo, 27th February 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.
[Scoop 3] Unknown Wording, Unrecognized Signature – Was It Submitted as Evidence Without Proper Verification?
Named Individual Denies Involvement
Suspicion of Fabricated Testimony in Ministry of Education’s Request for Dissolution of Family Federation
by the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
prepared by Knut Holdhus
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) submitted a written statement as evidence in its request to the Tokyo District Court for the dissolution of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church). However, our newspaper received information from the person who allegedly signed the document, stating, “I did not write this,” and “It is not true.” We conducted a direct interview with the named individual.
The interviewee was Haruyo Matsushima (pseudonym, in her 70s), the mother of Mayumi Adachi (pseudonym), a practicing member of the Family Federation residing in Nerima Ward, Tokyo. According to Matsushima, she was informed by her daughter Adachi that a written statement in her name had been submitted by MEXT. Matsushima firmly denied authoring it, stating, “I did not write this.”
While she acknowledged that the signature on the document appeared to be in her handwriting, she insisted, “I have no memory of signing it.”
Furthermore, she stated that she had “never read the document” and had “never been asked to verify it.”
Matsushima’s husband, at the invitation of their daughter Adachi, had participated in the activities of the religious organization and made financial donations. However, he later became distrustful of the organization and, with the assistance of attorney Hiroshi Yamaguchi (山口広) from the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales (Zenkoku Benren), filed a claim for a refund of his donations. The settlement payment has already been completed.
The written statement in Haruyo Matsushima’s name was one of the attached documents sent to the Family Federation in October 2022 when her husband filed a request for a donation refund. It was presented as a formalized record of Matsushima’s “testimony,” implying that she had also requested the religious organization to refund the money to her husband.
However, when Matsushima reviewed the document for the first time through her daughter Adachi, she found several discrepancies with her own understanding.
Matsushima has long opposed her daughter Adachi’s faith, questioning the religious organization’s large financial donations and mass wedding ceremonies. She expressed skepticism, stating, “I have only a negative impression of the Unification Church.” While she wants to respect her daughter’s decisions, she revealed her emotional distress, saying, “I have felt deeply hurt, unable to discuss the issue with my family or anyone around me.”
Despite her concerns about the religious organization, Matsushima has maintained a neutral stance regarding her husband’s demand for a refund, explaining, “It doesn’t make sense to ask for money back after having agreed to donate it in the first place.”
She also expressed reluctance toward holding the religious organization accountable in such a manner.
Regarding the signature on the document, Matsushima stated that if she had signed it, it was likely done at home. However, she had no memory of being presented with a document with only the signature section left empty, nor did she recall being asked to sign anything by her husband. Additionally, she stated, “I have never met Attorney Yamaguchi, nor have I ever visited his office.”
Given these statements, there is a possibility that MEXT, having obtained the document from Zenkoku Benren, failed to conduct proper fact-checking or verification with the individuals involved before submitting it as a victim’s testimony in support of dissolving the religious organization. The procedural “darkness” surrounding this non-contentious case [See editor’s note below] that is not a public trial appears to be deep.
[Editor’s note: A non-contentious case refers to a legal matter where there is no dispute between parties. These cases typically involve administrative, procedural, or uncontested legal actions, such as probate (handling a deceased person’s estate), uncontested divorces, adoption, or registering a trademark. Since there are no opposing parties or legal conflicts, these cases usually proceed smoothly through the legal system without litigation.]
Featured image above: Haruyo Matsushima (pseudonym, rear) and her daughter Mayumi Adachi (pseudonym) speaking in an interview in Tokyo. Photo: Takahide Ishii (石井孝秀).