Takaichi Masks Unification Church’s Ticket Purchases: Magazine

Tokyo, Jan. 29 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is suspected of concealing the Unification Church’s purchases of tickets for her fundraising parties, a weekly magazine reported Thursday. Organizations and people linked to the Unification Church are believed to have bought a total of 100,000 yen in tickets for fundraising parties held by the Takaichi side in 2012 and 2019, the Shunkan Bunshun weekly said, citing internal documents obtained from a person linked to Takaichi’s office. The purchases contradict Takaichi’s past denial of financial ties to the controversial religious group, formerly known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, the magazine said. Akira Koike, head of the Japanese Communist Party’s Secretariat, called the allegation a “very serious issue.” The prime minister’s side “has the responsibility to provide an adequate explanation,” he said at a press conference. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato told a press conference that the government would not comment on individual news articles. The internet channel Daily Will earlier reported that a person linked to the Unification Church attended a 2001 meeting involving Yoshihiko Noda, co-leader of the Centrist Reform Alliance, a newly formed opposition party. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]