Politics & Government

Education Minister Masahito Moriyama “May Have Signed” Policy Accord with Unification Church

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Education minister Masahito Moriyama raises his hand at a lower house Budget Committee meeting on Wednesday.

Jiji Press

17:23 JST, February 7, 2024

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Education minister Masahito Moriyama on Wednesday said that he “may have signed” a de-facto policy accord with an organization linked to the controversial Unification Church.

“While I may have signed [the agreement], I don’t really remember,” said Moriyama at a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives.

Moriyama’s statement was made in response to a media report that he had signed off on a recommendation confirmation letter, the de-facto policy accord, prepared by an organization linked to the controversial group formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Signing the accord was reportedly a condition for receiving a letter of recommendation from the organization in connection with the 2021 lower house election.

“I’m starting to vaguely recall [the occasion in which I met with people from the Unification Church side],” Moriyama said.

Saying that the topic of the policy accord “may have suddenly popped up” and he “may have been asked” to sign the agreement at a gathering where he was invited to attend by a local elector, Moriyama added, “I may have signed [the agreement] without looking over it properly.”