Breaking Up the Unification Church of Japan

Unification Church’s flag and logo at the Japanese headquarters. Photo: Kazuhiro Nog/CNN

Last year’s assassination of the Japanese former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launched a year-long examination into the Unification Church, ending on Friday, October 13, 2023, with the Japanese government officially asking the Tokyo District Court to legally dissolve the Church. The shooter, Tetsuya Yamagami, targeted Abe for his deep ties to the church and stated that the church had pressured his mother into donating, leaving the family bankrupt. This prompted an inquiry into the manipulative and defrauding practices of the church.

The Unification Church, first founded in 1954 in South Korea, has a history of lawsuits. Since it was given legal status in Japan as a religious corporation in 1968, it has been accused of exploiting its members, forcing them to pay donations for the sins of ancestors, and manipulating youth into joining. The church continuously misled its members, such as stating the only way to salvation was through donations and pushing “spiritual sales.” Additionally, it repeatedly failed to comply and answer the government’s questions throughout the investigation. Japan’s Education Minister, Masahito Moriyama, declared on Thursday that the church has “long restricted many of its members' ability to freely make decisions, and forced them to make donations and purchase goods, while they were not in a condition to make sound decisions.” 

This case brought against the church violates Article 81 of the 1951 Religious Corporations Act, which allows the dissolution of religious groups if it has committed an act “clearly found to harm public welfare substantially.” While this is the third time the Japanese government has dissolved a religious entity, this is the first time one will be dissolved through civil court and not criminal court. 

This prosecution is stirring up controversy regarding religious influence in government. The Unification Church has deep ties to the government, often mobilizing its members to vote and support the current ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party. A recent study discovered that out of 712 lawmakers in government, over 100 were connected to the church and 82 of those were part of the Liberal Democratic Party, including seven Cabinet members. Many officials have now cut ties with the church amid concerns raised that the church was attempting to use political influence. The Japanese state has a history of repressing the freedom of religion, and thus post war has actively constructed hurdles to restraining religious activity. However, there is an underlying anxiety about the relationships, and thus an eroding support for the current Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, and his ruling party. It is also raising worries with other partners of the LDP, such as the political party Komeito which was founded by Soka Gakkai members as a Buddhist religious movement criticized for aggressive proselytizing, that it might be the next target. 

Over 100 lawmakers in the Japanese government have ties to the Unification Church. Photo: Japan News

However, despite the illegal techniques of the church, many argue that dissolving it might worsen the situation. The dissolution would lead to the loss of legal status and tax breaks, but the church would still be able to operate. Thus, through increasing its financial burdens, it would merely pass down hardship onto its members, the very people the state is trying to protect. Additionally, the dissolution would heighten the chances of the church moving activity “underground” and make it more challenging to regulate it by removing the church from the control of the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs. 

While the court makes its decision on the case in a closed-door hearing, there will be many people unhappy with either outcome, and either outcome will likely be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. This case will create a powerful precedent on how states may choose to react to rogue religious corporations, and how to deal with the consequences of such actions. However, some experts reason this is not the best way to handle the situation. Non-traditional religions are on the rise, and religious education is the best method to help people make informed decisions. This is made difficult by the separation of church and state in Japan, and many other countries, and thus the prohibition of teaching religion in schools. Regardless, while the legal dissolution of the Unification Church may decrease some of its harmful practices, it will not solve the root of cults or religious fanaticism. Perhaps reversing the rise of religious extremism comes from providing a broad religious understanding and helping people before they are vulnerable enough to go bankrupt for “salvation.”