Tokyo High Court Upholds Unification Church Dissolution Order

Tokyo, March 4 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo High Court on Wednesday upheld a district court order for the dissolution of the controversial religious group Unification Church, stripping the organization of its status as a religious corporation. “A dissolution order is necessary and inevitable, even when taking into consideration the impact on followers’ freedom of religion,” Presiding Judge Motoko Miki said. The dissolution order took effect despite the Unification Church’s plan to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The latest ruling marked a major milestone in developments regarding the Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which came under scrutiny following the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 by the accused who believed that Abe had ties with the group. Also on Wednesday, Tokyo District Court appointed lawyer Hisashi Ito of the Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association as liquidator in charge of the Unification Church, kicking off debt consolidation and other liquidation procedures. The group will be able to continue its activities as an unincorporated association, but will no longer be able to receive the tax benefits that were granted to it as a religious corporation. Miki backed the March 2025 dissolution order by Tokyo District Court, which was issued following a request by the culture ministry. It was the first time that such an order was issued based on a group’s illegal acts under the Civil Code. The lower court found that the Unification Church “caused unprecedentedly large damage over a long span of roughly 40 years.” It said that 1,559 people fell prey to the Unification Church’s unlawful solicitation of donations, with the total amount taken reaching about 20.4 billion yen. The high court judge found that the Unification Church took insufficient measures to ensure legal observance after issuing a declaration on boosting compliance in 2009, saying that the group focused on “preventing issues from surfacing by reducing lawsuits.” The group continued unlawful donation solicitations even after the compliance declaration in order to meet its donation target, and the total value of damage stayed about the same as before, the judge said. Miki noted that senior group officials set donation revenues in the group budget at the same level as before the declaration, to prevent a decrease in funds for the activities of officials at the Unification Church’s headquarters in South Korea, including leader Han Hak-ja. The group executives have no intent or capacity to reject excessive demands for funds from Han, and “a dissolution order is the only effective method to prevent unlawful acts by followers,” the judge concluded. The appeal hearings, held behind closed doors, concluded in November 2025. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara welcomed the latest ruling, saying that the high court recognized the state’s arguments. Kihara added that he instructed relevant ministries and agencies to cooperate and thoroughly implement necessary measures to offer relief to the group’s victims. Culture minister Yohei Matsumoto said that he hopes liquidation proceedings will progress smoothly and steadily, and relief will be provided to victims. Nobuya Fukumoto, attorney for the Unification Church, expressed dissatisfaction with the high court ruling but said he will cooperate in liquidation proceedings. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]