The National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales specializes in fabricating false “victims.” A series by an award-winning journalist from “Hanada” magazine, February 2024.
by Masumi Fukuda
Article 1 of 4
It’s a strange world
A South Korean anti-Japanese “cult,” or, rather, a fraudulent group masquerading as a religion, harvesting the wealth of innocent Japanese individuals and subjecting many second-generation believers to unbelievable difficulties… This is, more or less, the image that many Japanese vaguely associate with the former Unification Church (now called Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, hereinafter referred to as FFWPU or UC).
Successfully teaming up with the media, the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales (NNLASS) has managed to implant this negative image into the minds of each and every citizen of Japan, effectively framing the former UC as an “enemy of the people.” In my view, the activities of the NNLASS identify it as nothing more than a political left-wing movement disguised under the pretext of rescuing victims of fraudulent business practices. This is actually “hiding their true identity,” which is the phrase they like to use for blaming the UC.
Attorney Hiroshi Yamaguchi, affiliated with the Second Tokyo Bar Association, played a key role in the establishment of the NNLASS in May 1987 and served as its secretary-general for a long time. Due to his involvement, his animosity towards the “evil leader,” the founder of the UC, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, is intense. At a gathering after an NNLASS meeting, Attorney Yamaguchi, surrounded by like-minded lawyers, reportedly shouted, “Sun Myung Moon, go to hell!” Other lawyers raised their fists and echoed in agreement, shouting,”Yes!”
On October 13, 2023, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) finally made a historic announcement, filing a request with the Tokyo District Court for the dissolution of the former UC. For Attorney Yamaguchi, this news marked a momentous occasion, undoubtedly filled with deep emotions.
In February 1987, just before the formation of NNLASS, he had declared his intention to ask the then Ministry of Education to “investigate the anti-social activities of the UC and demand the revocation of its religious corporation status.” This was even before tackling the actual details of the alleged spiritual sales fraud (“Shakai Shinpo,” February 20, 1987). It has been a long journey of thirty-six years, a passage through time.
On October 13, 2023, Attorney Yamaguchi made the following statement: “It’s deeply moving that the request [for dissolution] has finally been filed. I believe the followers must be in shock, but I sincerely hope that they can take this opportunity to reclaim themselves and walk their own paths in life.” According to the X account (formerly Twitter) of a junior colleague at NNLASS, who fought alongside Attorney Yamaguchi against the church, Attorney Yamaguchi was moved to tears during this time.
How did actual believers and neutral, ordinary people react to Attorney Yamaguchi’s “warm words” that showed concern for current believers? Here are some of the comments that flooded the junior colleague’s X account:
“How about you reclaim yourself?” “What do you mean by ‘reclaiming oneself’ when we have been living happily? Do you want to imply that we have been following a strange faith? Believing in God and having faith won’t be lost just because of the dissolution order. Can a lawyer advocating diversity and human rights make such statements?” “How can you say such things when there are many believers whose lives have been ruined by you? Do you turn a blind eye to the issue of abduction and confinement? Is the Family Federation excluded from human rights? I have been living my life until now. It’s none of your business.” “This extreme-left lawyer, Yamaguchi, probably wishes for the disappearance of all religions, doesn’t he? If the Family Federation receives a dissolution order under the Civil Code, all other religions will be in danger!”
The NNLASS has a firm so-called “doctrine” regarding the former UC. According to this belief, all Japanese followers are considered victims of deceptive evangelism and mind control. Therefore, it is believed that they should be rescued or redeemed from these evil influences.
From the perspective of believers, it may be seen as interference or undesirable consideration. Regarding this “doctrine,” I had thought it was merely a justification and a tactical means for the lawyers to dismantle organizations they oppose. However, Attorney Yamaguchi’s words, “reclaim yourself,” raise the question of whether he sincerely means for individuals to awaken from mind control and return to a state of sanity. If he is seriously considering this, it could be deemed strange or abnormal.
What the “victims” say
On October 12, 2023, MEXT Minister Masahito Moriyama held a press conference to explain the reasons for submitting a request to the court for the dissolution order against the FFWPU. “After November of last year [2022], the Agency for Cultural Affairs exercised the ‘report collection and right of questioning’ of the Religious Corporations Law seven times, considering the possibility of filing a dissolution order and gathering relevant materials. Concurrently, it conducted hearings with the NNLASS and individual victims, numbering over 170 nationwide,” he said.
Based on these premises, Moriyama pointed out that “the former UC, at least since around 1980, has continuously imposed restrictions on the free decision-making of numerous believers, causing significant damage by inducing contributions and purchases of goods under conditions where normal judgment is impeded, and disturbing the peace of their lives.”
He also explained that there are approximately 32 cases where a liability for damages related to activities after 1980 has been recognized, involving a total of 569 victims. He said that the acknowledged total for damages is approximately 2.2 billion yen, and when settlements and agreements are included, the overall compensation for victims reaches around 20.4 billion yen.
Furthermore, Minister Moriyama stated that the organization systematically engaged in soliciting donations and selling goods at extravagant prices with the purpose of gaining financial benefits. As a result, the MEXT found the organization to be in violation of Article 81, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the Religious Corporations Act, which condemns “acts that are clearly recognized as being contrary to laws and significantly harmful to the public welfare,” as well as Item 2 of the same paragraph, which refers to “acts significantly deviating from the purpose of a religious organization.”
In response to this press conference, the FFWPU argued that its activities did not meet the criteria for requesting a dissolution order, as there are no organizational [e.g., organized and led by leaders], “malicious,” or continuous acts, as asserted by the government. Furthermore, the FFWPU criticized the NNLASS, stating that the “scale of damage” announced by the MEXT is approximately 5% in terms of number of cases, and 16% in terms of amount, compared with figures claimed by the NNLASS over the past 35 years. This demonstrates how much the NNLASS has been exaggerating the extent of damages.
The FFWPU also countered the MEXT’s stance, stating, “Regarding the ‘scale of damage,’ a significant portion includes amounts settled through reconciliation and agreements, which deviates significantly from the actual notion of ‘damage.’”
In fact, the majority of these “damages” have already been resolved. Additionally, a critical point to consider is that although the MEXT claims to have individually interviewed over 170 victims nationwide, they have not spoken to any current member of the FFWPU. This is an investigation entirely lacking in fairness, and it raises questions about how the MEXT intends to confirm the reliability of the testimony of the “victims” under these circumstances.