Dissolving the Unification Church is an old dream of the left and the Japanese Communist Party. But why did LDP Prime Minister Kishida acquiesce to it?
by Toshikazu Masubuchi
Article 3 of 3. Read article 1 and article 2.
While the media prominently promote “human rights” and assert justice, they readily ignore the “human rights” of those who do not conform to their claims. The media do not hesitate to label the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU, formerly called the Unification Church) as an “anti-social” organization, yet the term “anti-social group” originally refers to those designated by the National Police Agency, such as “yakuza and pseudo-yakuza” and “political extortion groups.” Separately, the police have designated organizations such as the “Japanese Communist Party,” “Chosen Soren” (General Association of North Korean Residents in Japan), “extreme left violent groups,” and “Aum Shinrikyo” as “groups to be monitored” based on the “Subversive Activities Prevention Act.” FFWPU has not received any such designation. Nevertheless, the media report on it as if it were an “anti-social group,” showing no signs of reflection.
Among the lawyers vigorously pursuing investigations into FFWPU and advocating for its dissolution, there are those who staunchly opposed the application of the “Subversive Activities Prevention Act” to Aum Shinrikyo. It seems they were determined to prevent the establishment of a “precedent of applying the Subversive Activities Prevention Act.” In other words, they wanted to protect the Communist Party, a “group to be monitored” based on the Subversive Activities Prevention Act. Isn’t it contradictory to oppose the application of the Subversive Activities Prevention Act to Aum Shinrikyo, which caused many casualties, while supporting the dissolution of the FFWPU, which has not committed any criminal offenses? They act for the sake of their political interests. I wrote about such contradictions on my blog on December 15, 2022.
Furthermore, the media condemn politicians who have connections with the allegedly “anti-social” FFWPU or its related organizations, claiming that such connections give “approval” to their anti-social activities. However, I appreciate them solely for being warriors who fought wholeheartedly to protect Japan from leaning towards the left. As non-religious experts in politics, we cannot give our “approval” to their faith. This is another example of the left’s characteristic “misdirection.” After all, FFWPU members believe in Reverend Moon as the Messiah of the Second Advent, not in politicians who are ordinary people. Is there even one believer who donates to the FFWPU based on our participation in their meetings? Moreover, even if there were such believers, it is unclear why that would be illegal. The ones troubled by donations to the FFWPU are the leftists. Their true message is “Don’t donate to anti-communist groups.” Calling a donor a “victim” is manipulation. It is not the consumer, but it is the Communist Party that suffers.
However, the members of the LDP, perhaps fearing media fake news, consistently claimed ignorance when asked about their connections with the FFWPU and related organizations. It is undoubtedly a challenging situation, as they must win elections when the time comes. However, on August 31, 2022, surprisingly, even Prime Minister Kishida announced at a press conference that he, as the leader of the LDP, had instructed the secretary-general of the party to sever ties with the FFWPU. Later, the LDP revised its governance code, declaring a policy of “thoroughly severing relations with the FFWPU and its related organizations.” According to Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno’s response in the Diet, the term “related organizations” includes IFVOC.
What is Prime Minister Kishida thinking when he decides to sever ties with those who have fought at the risk of their lives to prevent Japan from leaning left since before he entered university? Wasn’t there peace in society afterward thanks to them? Has Prime Minister Kishida ever fought for Japan with the same dedication as they have? It is unavoidable to conclude that Prime Minister Kishida’s actions go against the “essence of conservatism.”
In 1987, during parliamentary questioning, then-Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone rejected a demand from Communist Party members to sever ties with the IFVOC, stating, “I consider it a serious violation of freedom of thought and action. I think this is a manifestation of the Communist Party’s dictatorial policy. I would like them to refrain from making such unconstitutional statements that violate freedom of thought and action.” If Prime Minister Kishida had responded with such a reasonable argument, there would have been no problem, and the situation of demanding the dissolution of FFWPU would not have arisen. I hoped that Prime Minister Kishida, once in office, could transform into a courageous politician like former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe—but it was a miscalculation.
In my youth, after reading Kazumi Takahashi’s novel “Jashumon,” I understood that freedom of religion is fundamental to a democratic society and should not be distorted at the whim of the authorities. Later on, I learned that the inclusion of “freedom of religion” in the current Constitution, in accordance with democracy, was influenced by the historical persecution of Judaism in Christian societies. With such awareness, I believed that Prime Minister Kishida’s talk of a dissolution order against the FFWPU was nothing more than a “pose” to recover approval ratings. Therefore, I never dreamed that the Kishida administration would actually file a dissolution order.
However, on October 13, 2023, the MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology) filed a request for a dissolution order against the FFWPU with the court.
After reading an article in the “Sankei Shimbun” dated October 12 of the same month, I was shocked, thinking that the Kishida administration intended to link the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the dissolution order against the FFWPU. According to the article, Prime Minister Kishida, in October 2022, abruptly changed the interpretation of the dissolution order provisions of the Religious Corporations Act, prompting dissent within the Religious Affairs Council. Nevertheless, the MEXT appealed to council members, claiming that “the Cabinet will be in trouble,” and sought consensus. Seeing this article, I confirmed that the Kishida administration was a politically expedient administration disguised in conservative clothing.
Other conservative supporters had similar impressions. How can the people trust a Prime Minister who violates freedom of religion for personal protection without adequately countering attacks from opposition parties and the media? For many conservative supporters of the LDP, Prime Minister Kishida’s actions showed his weakness and, despite religious persecution for the sake of popularity, did not stop his decline in approval ratings.
In January 2024, due to the political turmoil over the past year, the Kochi-kai faction finally decided to dissolve. The fate of those who deny the “Heavenly Will” can only be described as tragic. How ironic that their faction dissolves while contemplating the dissolution of a religious organization. It is not too late to stop religious persecution immediately.
The crimes committed by Aum Shinrikyo in the subway sarin gas attack and other incidents would normally be considered serious offenses equivalent to “subverting the state.” Furthermore, other crimes involving that group, such as their killing of hostile lawyers, are categorized as serious offenses even under existing laws.
In contrast, what heinous crimes has the FFWPU committed? Donating to a religious cause is a “common practice,” and terms like “tithing” in Christian churches are customary. Moreover, other religious groups have boasted about collecting tens of billions of yen overnight or within a few days. From the perspective of individuals from other religions, I may spend hundreds of thousands of yen on nothing more than a “posthumous Buddhist name written on a piece of paper.” Is my action a result of being “brainwashed”? If such actions were considered crimes, then every religious organization would be subject to dissolution.
According to my younger brother, who served as the chairperson of the Tochigi Bar Association, most executives in Japan’s bar associations are said to be left-leaning. The dissolution order request, incorporating the claims of organizations like the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, which believes that “religion is an opiate,” holds no meaningful significance.
However, if the Kishida administration persists in not withdrawing the dissolution request, the last hope lies with the judiciary. I believe in the integrity of Japan’s judiciary, trusting that it has not become corrupt like the judiciary in South Korea. I want to believe that the courts will not ignore the fundamental human rights of freedom of religion and freedom of thought and conscience. I expressed these opinions in a blog post titled “I Stand Firmly on the Side of Protecting Fundamental Human Rights!” dated October 31, 2023.
