Unification Church dissolution order upheld, liquidation process begins
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TOKYO – A Japanese high court on Wednesday upheld a dissolution order for the Unification Church in line with the central government’s request, with liquidation procedures beginning immediately.
Presiding Judge Motoko Miki of the Tokyo High Court said the decision was made as it is possible that the organization is still engaging in unlawful solicitation of donations that financially ruin its members and others.
“One can hardly expect the church to voluntarily take measures to prevent its members from engaging in illicit activities,” the judge said.
A former follower of the church from Kanagawa Prefecture welcomed the decision, saying, “The court responded to the suffering we voiced for so many years.”
“I hope society will embrace people like myself who have abandoned their faith (in the church),” he said.
Although the group can still appeal to the Supreme Court, the high court’s order took immediate effect. The controversial organization lost its status as a religious corporation and its associated tax advantages as the liquidation process began.
Under Japan’s legal system, authorities can ask courts to order a dissolution if a religious corporation “commits an act that is clearly found to substantially harm public welfare.”
“I hope the liquidation process will be carried out properly under the supervision of the court, ensuring swift redress for the victims,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference.
Kihara, the top government spokesman, added that he has instructed the relevant ministries and agencies to work together to quickly implement the necessary measures to provide relief to the victims.
The church indicated in a released statement that it will appeal the court order. If the Supreme Court overturns the high court decision, the liquidation procedure will stop.
The group called Wednesday’s decision “unjust” and “preconceived,” saying it goes against the principle of trial by evidence. They added, “We will not tolerate this and will continue our battle to defend the freedom of religion, including filing a special appeal.”
The Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, denied organizational involvement in improper solicitations, stating that the harm caused by donations has dropped since 2009, when stricter compliance measures were declared.
The group argued that only criminal violations, not those under the Civil Code, meet the requirements for dissolution.
This is the third case in Japan in which a religious group has been ordered to dissolve due to “violations of laws and regulations,” following cases including that of the AUM Shinrikyo doomsday cult, which carried out the fatal nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system in 1995.
As the two previous cases were based on criminal violations, the Unification Church is the first religious organization to be ordered to dissolve based on violation of the Civil Code.
In October 2023, the culture ministry filed a dissolution request on the grounds that the organization continued to engage in practices that solicited financially ruinous donations nationwide for a long period of time — practices including pressuring people into buying religious goods and that resulted in numerous victims.
“Our statement claiming many people have suffered financial and psychological damage was accepted,” said culture and science minister Yohei Matsumoto in welcoming the high court decision.
According to the Tokyo District Court’s ruling in March 2025, the organization had swindled at least 20.4 billion yen ($129.6 million) in donations from more than 1,500 people.
The lower court said it was unable to overlook the significant damage wrought by the church and the likelihood it would continue to harm people in the future. It ruled that there was no alternative to a dissolution order, calling it an “inevitable legal action.”
The church has come under heavy scrutiny since the fatal shooting in 2022 of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by a man who admitted to holding a grudge against the group due to financially ruinous donations made by his mother.
Tetsuya Yamagami, who has appealed his life sentence, claimed that he targeted Abe because Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, who also served as prime minister, helped introduce the Unification Church to Japan, according to investigative sources.
Established in 1954 in South Korea, the church known for its anti-communist stance earned its religious corporation status in Japan in the early 1960s.
The assassination of Abe was followed by a series of revelations of ties between some lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church.
A law was enacted in December 2022 to regulate manipulative fundraising tactics by organizations after the suffering of children of Unification Church members came to light.
Content retrieved from: https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/71570.
