Japan court backs dissolution of Unification Church

The ruling by the Tokyo High Court means the group, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, immediately loses its tax benefits while its assets are placed under court-supervised liquidation. The church can still appeal to the Supreme Court of Japan, but the order remains in effect unless overturned.

Presiding Judge Motoko Miki said the court found it possible the organization continued to engage in unlawful donation solicitations that financially harmed members and others.

"One can hardly expect the church to voluntarily take measures to prevent its members from engaging in illicit activities," the judge said.

A former follower from Kanagawa Prefecture welcomed the decision, saying the court had responded to years of suffering voiced by victims.

"I hope society will embrace people like myself who have abandoned their faith (in the church)," he said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the government hopes the liquidation process will ensure swift relief for victims. He added that ministries and agencies had been instructed to cooperate on measures to support those affected.

The church condemned the ruling in a statement, calling it “unjust” and “preconceived,” and said it would file a special appeal to defend what it described as religious freedom. The organization denies systematic wrongdoing and says stricter compliance measures introduced in 2009 reduced problems linked to donations.

The case marks the third time in Japan that a religious organization has been ordered to dissolve for legal violations. Previous cases included the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo following the Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995. Unlike those cases, which involved criminal offenses, the order against the Unification Church is based on violations of the civil code.

Japan’s culture ministry filed the dissolution request in October 2023, arguing the organization had long pressured followers to make financially ruinous donations and purchase religious goods. Culture and science minister Yohei Matsumoto said the high court recognized the financial and psychological harm suffered by victims.

A lower court ruling in March 2025 found the church had collected at least 20.4 billion yen, about $129.6 million, from more than 1,500 people through such practices.

The organization has faced intense scrutiny since the 2022 assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe. The attacker, Tetsuya Yamagami, said he targeted Abe because of resentment over large donations his mother made to the church. Abe’s grandfather, former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi, had helped introduce the group to Japan.

Founded in South Korea in 1954, the church gained official religious corporation status in Japan in the early 1960s. The controversy surrounding the group also prompted Japan to pass a law in December 2022 aimed at regulating manipulative fundraising practices by organizations.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Japan’s unemployment rate increased to 2.7% in January, up from 2.6% in December.