Unification Church

====Revocation of religious corporation status by the Japanese government====
On 6 September 2023, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, [[Keiko Nagaoka]], announced the [[Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology|ministry]]'s decision to file an administrative fine against the church with the [[Tokyo District Court]]. This action was taken due to the church's lack of cooperation in responding to the ministry's inquiries during their investigation, aimed at determining if there was sufficient evidence of wrongdoing to justify revoking the church's religious corporation status.<ref name="tbs 2023 0906 fine">{{Citation |date=2023-09-06 |url=https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/706030?display=1 |work=[[TBS News]] |trans-title= |script-title=ja:旧統一教会 100項目以上の質問に回答せず 文科省が宗教法人審議会で「過料」を求める説明 どうなる解散命令請求の行方 |access-date=2023-09-07 |language=ja}}</ref>

According to the ministry's statement, they had exercised their right to question the church on seven occasions since November 2022, regarding the church's operations and fundraising practices. However, the church declined to answer more than 100 questions, which accounted for 20% of the total questions submitted. Under the Religious Juridical Person Law, failure to cooperate with the ministry's right to question carries a maximum penalty of 100,000 yen per organization.<ref name="nhk 2023 0906 fine">{{Citation |title=Japan culture ministry to seek court order to fine ex-Unification Church |date=2023-09-06 |url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230906_27/ |work=[[NHK]] |access-date=2023-09-07}}</ref>

During the government probe, the ministry were also holding closed-door hearings with victims of the Unification Church and experts such as the [[National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales]] (Zenkoku Benren) to build the case against the church. On 12 October 2023, the ministry officially announced its intention to file an application for a "Dissolution Order" under Article 81 of Religious Juridical Person Law against the Unification Church. The decision was driven by the presentation of substantial evidence indicating that the purposes of the Unification Church had deviated from a legitimate religion and its activities had significantly harmed public welfare.<ref name="strip-reuters-2023">{{cite news |author=Tim Kelly |date=12 October 2023 |title=Japan to ask court to strip Unification Church of religious status |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-ask-court-strip-unification-church-religious-status-2023-10-12/ |access-date=13 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="nhk 2023 1012 dissolution">{{Citation |date=2023-10-12 |url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20231012/k10014222851000.html |work=[[NHK]] |trans-title= |script-title=ja:旧統一教会の解散命令 請求を正式決定 今後の手続きは |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Japan Seeks to Dissolve Unification Church Connected to Shinzo Abe's Assassination |date=2023-10-12 |url=https://time.com/6322931/japan-unification-church-disbandment-shinzo-abe/?linkId=241033380 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=2023-10-12}}</ref>

The newly appointed minister, [[Masahito Moriyama]], described the Unification Church's actions as having "systematically, maliciously, and persistently" manipulated public psychological distress to accumulate substantial funds. These funds, due to ensuing civil claims from affected parties, served as sufficient grounds to trigger the dissolution order.<ref>{{Citation |date=2023-10-12 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=343qgtvGnjA |work=[[TBS News]] |script-title=ja:【LIVE】文部科学大臣が臨時会見 旧統一教会への解散命令請求を決定 |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=ja |via=YouTube}}</ref> Prime Minister [[Fumio Kishida]] voiced agreement, asserting that the decision to propose a dissolution order was based on objective facts and rigorous judgment.<ref name="nhk 2023 1012 dissolution" />

Unlike previous cases, where dissolution orders were pursued due to criminal convictions, this is the first instance of a religious organization being subjected to such an order without a criminal conviction. Prior to this, only two religious organizations faced dissolution proceedings initiated by the government: [[Aum Shinrikyo]] in 1996, in relation to its involvement in the 1995 [[Tokyo subway sarin gas attack]], and Wakayama Myōkakuji in 2002, for fraud conviction. These cases were subjected to legal proceedings lasting 7 months and 3 years, respectively.<ref>{{Citation |date=2023-10-12 |url=https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/283257 |work=[[Tokyo Shimbun]] |script-title=ja:旧統一教会への解散命令 決定までの手続きは？なぜ時間かかりそう？ 「民事の法令違反では初」が影響すること |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=ja}}</ref>

Should the court approve the dissolution order, the Unification Church will lose its tax benefits associated with registered religious organizations.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Rich |first1=Motoko |title=Japan Seeks to Dissolve Unification Church After Abe Killing |date=2023-10-12 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/world/asia/unification-church-japan-abe.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimesworld |work=[[New York Times]] |access-date=2023-10-12 |last2=Ueno |first2=Hisako |last3=Hida |first3=Hikari}}</ref> Despite this, the Unification Church can continue its operations and missionary activities within Japan under the constitutionally granted freedom of religion.<ref>{{Citation |date=2023-10-12 |url=https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20231012-OYT1T50206/ |work=[[Yomiuri Shimbun]] |script-title=ja:旧統一教会の解散命令請求、宗教法人審議会の「全会一致の意見」…盛山文科相 |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=ja}}</ref> However, the ''Japan Times'' editor believed that such an order would damage the Unification Church's reputation.<ref name="japantimes 2022 1207">{{Citation |last1=McKenna |first1=Shaun |title=Deep Dive Episode 139: The Church, the State and Kishida's headache |date=2022-12-07 |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/podcast/unification-church-kishida/ |work=[[The Japan Times]] |access-date=2023-10-12 |last2=Takahara |first2=Kanako}}</ref>

The church has indicated its intention to contest the charge and dissolution order through legal means, asserting that they will do so thoroughly.<ref name="tbs 2023 0906 fine" /><ref name="nhk 2023 0906 fine" /><ref>{{Citation |title=【"統一教会"がコメント発表】「極めて残念であり遺憾」 解散命令請求の決定受け |date=2023-10-13 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzFTbu08kmo |work=[[Nippon TV]] News |access-date=2023-10-13 |language=ja |via=YouTube}}</ref> The church also contended that the ministry's exercise of the right to question against them was illegal.<ref>{{Citation |date=2023-09-08 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJqIdRyDuQ8 |work=[[MBS News]] |script-title=ja:「裁判で全面的に争う。偏った取り組みだ」旧統一教会が“質問権めぐり過料”に反論 |access-date=2023-09-08 |language=ja |via=YouTube}}</ref>

On 7 March 2024, while the court hearing for the dissolution case was still ongoing, the Japanese government, under the new law passed in December 2023, approved a plan to subject the church to stricter monitoring of its assets in anticipation of providing relief to victims of unfair solicitation.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/politics-government/20240307-173028/|title=Panel OK's Putting Unification Church under Increased Scrutiny|work=[[Jiji Press]]|publisher=[[Yomiuri Shimbun]]|date=2024-03-07|access-date=2024-03-07}}</ref>