Prime Minister Kishida Orders Investigation into Unification Church... "May Issue Dissolution Order Depending on Results"

Request for Information on Religious Operation Status
First Event Since Enactment of the Religious Corporation Act

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As the controversy over the collusion between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's political circle and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church) spreads, NHK reported on the 17th that the Family Federation has ordered an investigation into whether there has been any violation of laws.

On the same day, Prime Minister Kishida instructed Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Keiko Nagaoka at the Tokyo Prime Minister's Official Residence to exercise the "right to inquire" stipulated in the Religious Corporations Act.

If the right to inquire is exercised, the competent ministry can request information related to the operation status and executive details of the religious organization. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, "If the investigation finds that the religious organization has harmed public welfare, it could lead to a petition for a dissolution order."

Minister Nagaoka told reporters on the day, "I received instructions from Prime Minister Kishida to exercise the right to inquire regarding the Family Federation under the Religious Corporations Act," adding, "We plan to start responding immediately."

This is the first time the Japanese government has exercised the right to inquire against a religious organization. The Religious Corporations Act was enacted in 1995 following the sarin gas attack by Aum Shinrikyo on the Tokyo subway.

The Japanese government had been lukewarm about issuing a dissolution order against the Family Federation due to concerns that it might infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion. However, as former Prime Minister Kishida's approval rating plummeted to the 20% range in last month's survey, the government began taking a tougher stance.

The Family Federation has continuously caused social controversy in Japan over its doctrine of "inspiration commerce," which involves selling expensive goods to believers, and issues related to proselytizing. Based on the doctrine that spiritual items must be purchased to eliminate ancestral grudges, the Family Federation has sold seals, pagodas, ginseng, and other items at high prices. According to the Asahi Shimbun, the amount of financial damage caused by the Family Federation in Japan since 1987 has reached 123.7 billion yen.

Additionally, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that the government opened a telephone consultation window related to the Family Federation from the 5th to the 28th of last month, receiving 2,200 consultations.

However, some voices suggest that even if the government exercises the right to inquire, it may take time to receive responses. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, "There are concerns within the opposition parties that if the Family Federation does not respond to the inquiries, resolving the issue could take time."