A Tokyo court ordered on Tuesday the revocation of the legal status of the Unification Church in Japan, a South Korean-origin religious movement with close political ties, embroiled in scandals over its controversial fundraising tactics and psychological manipulation of its followers.
The decision, prompted by a request from the Japanese government, marks a turning point in the scrutiny of religious groups in the country. With this measure, the organization, founded in South Korea in 1954, will lose its religious status, stripping it of tax exemptions and forcing it to liquidate its assets. However, the church announced that it would appeal immediately, calling the ruling “unjust” and a threat to religious freedom.
Also known as the Moon sect, the Unification Church has been accused of pressuring its followers to donate large sums of money, sometimes to the point of financial ruin. For decades, it maintained a close relationship with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which allowed it to operate without major legal obstacles. However, everything changed after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, which put its political ties and allegations of financial abuse under intense scrutiny.
The assassination revealed the organization’s darker side. The attacker, Tetsuya Yamagami, stated that his actions were motivated by Abe’s relationship with the Unification Church, which he blamed for his family’s bankruptcy after his mother had donated large sums to the group. The case sparked a national scandal, prompting authorities to investigate the sect’s practices and its political connections.
The Tokyo District Court justified the organization’s dissolution, arguing that it engaged in “abusive and persistent practices” that harmed its members and their families. This is only the third time in Japan’s history that a religious group has faced such a measure. Previously, it happened with the Aum Shinrikyo sect, responsible for the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, and the Buddhist group Myokakuji, whose leaders were convicted of fraud.
Founded by Reverend Sun Myung Moon, who proclaimed himself the messiah, the Unification Church promotes ultraconservative values, an anti-communist stance, and the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. It is also known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Its global expansion was marked by mass weddings and the establishment of businesses and foundations that strengthened its influence in various countries.
Over the years, the organization forged ties with influential political figures, including former U.S. presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump. Moon even met with Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea, in an attempt to mediate regional tensions.
The dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan is a significant blow to the organization, as the country is one of its main sources of funding. It is estimated to have around 300,000 followers in Japan, many of whom were persuaded to make generous donations under the promise of “purifying” the sins of their ancestors related to Japan’s occupation of Korea.
The scandal has also shaken Japanese politics. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was forced to reshuffle his cabinet to remove officials with ties to the organization, while public pressure has pushed for stricter regulations on religious groups in the country.
Despite the ruling, the Unification Church maintains its innocence and insists it will continue operating, albeit without the legal protection that previously granted it tax benefits.
