Unification Church

==== Child adoption ====
The Unification Church came under investigation by Japan's [[Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare]] for allegations about organizing children being transferred between members' families without authorization from the prefectural government. The authorization requirement came into effect in 2018 and if convicted of violation the offender would face imprisonment or a fine. The church reported that there were 31 known adoptions between 2018 and 2022, when questioned by the welfare ministry. Under the Japanese Civil Code, adoptions involving minors require permission from family courts. The issue at hand also raises questions whether family courts' screening was sufficient.<ref name="mainichi editorial 2023 0201">{{citation
|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230201/p2a/00m/0op/017000c
|title=Editorial: Japan gov't needs to uncover Unification Church's murky adoption practice
|work=[[Mainichi Shimbun]]
|date=2023-02-01
|access-date=2023-02-08
}}</ref> The church denies the allegation that they act as an agent in the arrangement, but says that the child adoptions happen between families privately.<ref>{{Citation
|url=https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUF068QO0W2A201C2000000/
|title=旧統一教会の養子縁組、2018年度以降31件 調査に回答
|trans-title=The Unification Church answered that there have been 31 cases of child adoption arrangements since 2018
|work=[[The Nikkei]]
|date=2022-12-06
|accessdate=2022-12-27
|language=ja
}}</ref><ref>{{Citation
|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/18/national/unification-church-adoption-probe/
|title=Japan to probe Unification Church's adoption system
|work=[[The Japan Times]]
|date=2022-11-18
|accessdate=2022-12-28
}}</ref> In publications targeting its followers, the church stated that once families agree on adoption, they were to report it to the group's family education bureau. The welfare ministry indicated that such a rule makes the group perceived as mediating adoptions. The welfare ministry's investigation into the matter has no enforcing power, however, and it doesn't know in detail about when adoptions took place or which families were involved.

At the same time, the religious group insists that there has been no organized involvement for about 20 years and that adoptions have been personal unions between followers.<ref name="mainichi editorial 2023 0201" />

The ministry requested that the church revise their teachings about children to comply with Japan's child welfare laws. Some adoptees complained to the ministry and media that they are emotionally traumatized after learning their adoptions were religiously motivated.<ref>{{Citation
|url=https://japantoday.com/category/national/japan-warns-unification-church-over-murky-child-adoption-practice
|title=Gov't warns Unification Church over murky child adoption practice
|work=[[Kyodo News]]
|publisher=[[The Japan Times]]
|date=2023-01-24
|access-date=2023-01-25
}}</ref><ref>{{Citation
|url=https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/208201?display=1
|script-title=ja:「何のため生まれてきたのか」旧統一教会の養子縁組 元2世信者"肉声"で証言 信者向け動画には「養子縁組は美しい伝統」
|work=[[Tokyo Broadcasting System]]
|date=2022-11-19
|access-date=2023-01-25
|language=ja
}}</ref>{{Request quotation|date=March 2023}} On February 1, 2023, the Unification Church of Japan revised their believers' handbook to remove references to child adoption.<ref>{{Citation
|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/af7d5f4f07e267a8adb74a1071d0444618031035
|script-title=ja:"統一教会"ハンドブック改訂 養子縁組推奨を"削除"
|work=[[Nippon TV]]
|date=2023-02-01
|access-date=2023-02-10
|language=ja
}}</ref>

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare submitted several questionnaires about the child adoption practice to the Unification Church between November and December 2022,<ref>{{Citation
|url=https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2023012300315&g=soc
|script-title=ja:旧統一教会に行政指導 厚労省、養子縁組巡り―捜査当局に情報提供も
|work=[[Jiji Press]]
|date=2023-01-23
|access-date=2023-01-25
|language=ja
}}</ref> but in the second inquiry the Unification Church refused to answer more than half of the questions, and sent a letter of protest to the ministry.<ref>{{Citation
|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/883e573c7ad588f2aff079ba2868e0e5f2c59b95
|title=半分以上が「回答拒否」…"統一教会"養子縁組の追加質問 厚労省に抗議文送付
|trans-title=The Unification Church refused to answer more than half of the questions regarding the child adoption arrangement additional inquiry. Letter of protest for the Health Labour Ministry
|work=[[Nippon TV]]
|date=2022-12-20
|accessdate=2022-12-27
|language=ja
|via=Yahoo News
}}</ref>