Unification Church faces dissolution in Japan

The Unification Church has come under intense scrutiny in Japan since a former prime minister was assassinated, but it could soon fall even further from grace.

Authorities said in October 2023 they were seeking to dissolve the influential sect, founded in South Korea and nicknamed the "Moonies" after its late founder, Sun Myung Moon.

The church is accused of pressuring followers into making life-ruining donations, and blamed for child neglect among its members -- although it has denied any wrongdoing.

Now a court order is expected to strip the group of legal recognition as early as this month, major Japanese media outlets reported.

The dissolution would remove the church's tax-exempt status while branding the organisation a harmful entity.

Former prime minister Shinzo Abe -- Japan's longest-serving leader -- was shot dead on the campaign trail in 2022, allegedly by a man who resented the Unification Church.

Investigations after Abe's murder revealed close ties between the sect and many conservative ruling-party lawmakers, leading to the resignation of four ministers.

Even after its dissolution, the Unification Church could continue religious practices, said lawyer Katsuomi Abe.

But "its reputation will decline, and the number of followers will decrease", said Abe, who represents former believers seeking compensation after making huge donations.

The amount donated by Japanese members over the decades has been estimated by some at hundreds of millions of US dollars or more.

Since 2023, nearly 200 people have demanded compensation of 5.7 billion yen ($38.5 million) in total, according to Abe and other lawyers.

"I don't think any other organisation has caused such damage" to Japanese society, he told AFP.

- Calls for help -

It would be the third religious group ordered to disband in Japan -- another being the Aum Shinrikyo cult, which released a deadly nerve agent on the Tokyo subway 30 years ago.

Aum eventually declared bankruptcy, but its two successor groups continue to operate in the country.

The Unification Church -- officially the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification -- was founded in 1954.

It rose to global prominence in the 1970s and 80s, becoming famous for mass weddings often held in stadiums.

Its affiliate groups have secured addresses from Donald Trump and Japan's Abe, who was not a member of the church or its sub-groups but made a video speech at a 2021 event.

The man accused of killing Abe is 44-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, whose mother is said to have donated 100 million yen ($1 million at the time) to the Unification Church in total.

Yamagami, now in pre-trial detention, could face the death penalty if convicted.

He has reportedly attempted suicide in the past, while his brother took his own life.

Their uncle has described receiving calls for help from Yamagami when his mother left her children alone and without food to attend church.

Since Abe's murder, the church has pledged to prevent "excessive" member donations.

- 'Isolated' -

Japan has long been a financial hub for the Unification Church, which tells members they must atone for the wartime occupation of Korea and sells expensive items to grant forgiveness from sins.

A man whose parents are members told a recent lawyers' gathering that his family could not afford school equipment or even sometimes to run a bath.

He was told not to interact with "satanic" non-members and felt "lonely and isolated". He said his brother took his own life last year after suffering mental health problems.

It could take up to a year for the dissolution order to be finalised if the church appeals.

Lawyers warn the group could transfer its financial assets elsewhere, partly due to a 2023 bill approved by the ruling party that critics say takes a light touch on financing.

"They've been sending tens of billions of yen every year to their South Korean headquarters," said Abe.

He and other lawyers are calling for stronger legislation so that money can be returned to victims.

Liquidating the church's assets will be a daunting job, Abe warned.

"There is a big question as to how many years the liquidation process will take... and whether it will go smoothly," he said.

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