Unification Church allegedly facilitated up to 745 adoptions in Japan

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:26 JST, November 22, 2022

The Unification Church has allegedly facilitated as many as 745 adoptions for its members over the last 41 years, it has been learned.

On Tuesday, the government submitted questions to the group officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification as part of an investigation into the revelations.

Punitive measures could include administrative guidance or criminal prosecution as unauthorized mediation in adoptions is prohibited under the Adoption Agency Law, which came into effect in 2018.

Questions were submitted jointly by the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, according to the government, which set a Dec. 5 deadline for a response.

The government wants to confirm the number of adoptions, details regarding the involvement of the Unification Church, and whether money was involved.

According to the Unification Church, 745 children were adopted by members of the group from 1981 to May this year.

“The [adoption] activity was meant to help followers in need of help. We will provide honest responses to the [government’s] questions,” the Unification Church told The Yomiuri Shimbun.