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. The Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, will no longer be eligible for tax benefits as a religious corporation, regardless of whether it appeals to the Supreme Court. Debt consolidation and other liquidation procedures will begin. Presiding Judge Motoko Miki backed the March 2025 ruling by Tokyo District Court, which was the first time that a dissolution 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. In the appeal, the Unification Church argued that the lower court’s finding that the group continued unlawful activities even after issuing a declaration on boosting legal compliance in 2009 was not backed by evidence. It also claimed that dissolution was unnecessary because it had agreed to collective mediation with donation victims. Japan’s culture ministry, which asked Tokyo District Court to issue the dissolution order, argued that the district court decision was reasonable. The appeal hearings, held behind closed doors, concluded in November 2025. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]