The Tokyo District Court has mandated the dissolution of the Japanese branch of the Unification Church, often referred to as “moonies”. This decision follows an investigation by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology into the group’s alleged violations of the Japanese Civil Code and Religious Corporations Act, as reported by local media.
Presiding Judge Suzuki concluded that the Church’s solicitation of donations amounted to a tort under the Japanese Civil Code, citing practices that “violate the rights of others and lead to a situation that is clearly recognized as significantly harming public welfare.” These findings fulfill the requirements for dissolution under the Religious Corporation Act. Judge Suzuki highlighted aggressive donation tactics, such as persuading members to donate excessively by claiming they needed to alleviate themselves from “Ancestral Karma”. Past reports have detailed tactics wherein economically disadvantaged individuals were pressured into donating large sums based on manipulated beliefs.
The church has declared the court’s decision “clearly unfair” and has indicated plans to appeal. Despite asserting that damages caused by their actions have decreased significantly since 2009, Judge Suzuki dismissed the changes in fundraising methods as “insufficient”, leading to the order for dissolution. Historical judgments have also recognized illegal pressure by the church for donations, which sometimes led members to pay with retirement benefits or insurance payouts. Since 1980, the church has been ordered to pay 2.2 billion yen in damages and over 20 billion yen in settlements.
This dissolution will strip the Unification Church of its legal personality and the privileges that come with it, such as preferential tax treatments. Although the church can continue to operate as a voluntary association, it will no longer be able to wield the same influence. However, no criminal penalties have been enforced with the court’s ruling.
This is only the third instance of a religious organization being dissolved under Article 81 of the Religious Corporations Act, the prior cases being the Aum Shinrikyo, associated with the Tokyo Sarin gas attack, and the Myokakuji temple, implicated in financial fraud. Article 81 permits dissolution where organizations have engaged in acts harmful to public welfare or deviated significantly from their stated religious purposes, as outlined by the Religious Corporations Act.
The Unification Church’s activities came under intensified scrutiny following the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The assailant, Yamagami Tetsuya—whose family was allegedly subjected to severe financial strain due to the church’s demands—carried out the attack in protest of Abe’s perceived ties with the Church, including political advocacy and fundraising permissions.
The full details and implications of this decision can be reviewed on the original JURIST article.