Japan Lawyers Urge Politicians to Cut Ties with Unification Church

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Unification Church’s headquarters in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, in October 2022

Lawyers supporting people who have suffered due to so-called spiritual sales tactics have called for politicians to sever their ties with the Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

The National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales issued a statement Saturday calling for Diet members, local politicians and assembly members, mayors and others to cut ties with the religious group. Each assembly is also urged to pass a resolution stating that it will do so.

The statement will be sent to political parties and prefectural assemblies, among others, ahead of the unified local elections scheduled for April.

The lawyers group also calls for those who receive the statement to investigate whether the Unification Church assisted their past election campaigns and to announce their findings to the public.