Japan Seeks Court Order To Dissolve Unification Church

The Japanese government is planning to seek a court order to dissolve the Unification Church, as reported by Mainichi Shimbun.

Scrutiny of the group intensified after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot during an election campaign speech last year, raising questions about his perceived links to the organization and exposing its connections with many ruling party lawmakers. I Photo: Kyodo News

This move follows a months-long investigation into the religious group concerning allegations of soliciting financially ruinous donations from its members and other questionable practices.

The scrutiny of the group intensified after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot during an election campaign speech last year, raising questions about his perceived links to the organization and exposing its connections with many ruling party lawmakers.

According to a source, the Cultural Affairs Agency is currently considering convening a meeting of an advisory body on religious institutions, potentially on October 12, to present its plan.

Afterward, the agency intends to request the Tokyo District Court to issue an order to dissolve the group.

The agency has determined, based on documents submitted by the Unification Church and statements from victims who were pressured into making substantial donations, that the group's practices constitute violations of the Religious Corporations Act.

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