Against the Odds, Fujisawa Church Reopens

Fujisawa Family Church returns to its members as they may now gather again at their dear place of worship they feared lost

Tokyo, 11^th September 2026 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.

Family Federation Church Reopens as Believers Gather Despite Headwinds of Dissolution

NEWS Close-Up

by Takahide Ishii (石井 孝秀)

“We wanted to return as soon as possible” Even during liquidation

With the dissolution of the religious corporation of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU, formerly the Unification Church) now finalized, one issue troubling its members is the loss of the “places” where they can practice their faith. Many have been holding gatherings in members’ homes or streaming worship services online, but some have experienced emotional distress because facilities to which they had become attached are no longer available for use.

See also When Public Narrative Becomes State Action

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At the same time, there have been cases in which churches located in rented properties have been able to resume religious activities. On 1^st July, ahead of churches elsewhere in Japan, the Fujisawa Family Church of the Family Federation, located in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, was returned to its members. We visited the church.

Fujisawa Family Church is located about a five-minute walk from JR Fujisawa Station. The church had originally occupied all but the first and third floors of a seven-story building. Since 1^st July, however, it has been renting only the fifth through seventh floors and using them as church facilities.

The person responsible for the church, Koasaburo Sasaki (々木耕三郎), had spent many years working in education for second-generation members. Remarkably, he assumed his position as “church pastor” on 4^th March – the very day the Tokyo High Court issued its decision ordering the dissolution of the religious corporation.

After quickly completing his introductory greetings, Sasaki was meeting with staff to discuss what to do next after seeing the news reports when, at around 2 p.m., two lawyers acting on behalf of the liquidator arrived at the church.

Sasaki said, “I had mixed feelings about the situation, but there was no point in letting my emotions get the better of me.”

“Rather, because the church facility was a rented property, I thought that once the liquidator’s work was completed, we might be able to use the church again. I firmly resolved that we should bring this to an end as quickly as possible – even by as little as one day sooner – and move on to the next stage.”

After handing over everything to the liquidator, including cash, bankbooks and keys, mainly the staff responsible for general administration and accounting became involved in the liquidation process.

Because securing the assets of the church, which had been a religious corporation, was the liquidator’s highest priority, members could no longer enter or leave the facility. To provide members with somewhere to go, Sasaki began renting outside venues and holding gatherings there.

“Even in the face of these headwinds, we were grateful that so many members came to the gatherings.”

Sasaki expresses his gratitude. Each time, equipment for streaming the services was also transported to the venue, with the help of second-generation members, so that those unable to attend in person could participate remotely.

However, unlike at a church facility, outside venues had to be cleared out as soon as the scheduled time approached its end.

“I felt a sense of loneliness. At the church, even after worship had ended, everyone could stay and interact with one another. I imagine the members felt the same way.”

Sasaki says he was also encouraged by the way members came together as one, voluntarily visiting one another’s homes and checking on each other.
Regular gatherings were held at several different venues, but the inconvenience remained. Some members even went to the wrong meeting place. Sasaki and the members persevered through this period without a place where they could pray, driven by a single desire:

“We wanted to return to our church as soon as possible, even by as little as one day sooner.”

On 1^st July, partly because the liquidator’s side was also eager to complete its work quickly, the church was able to take over the facility in almost exactly its previous condition by purchasing the equipment and furnishings that had originally been inside it.

Another major factor was that the church members had built a relationship of trust with the owner of the property and were able to obtain the owner’s consent to “continue using it just as before”.

Among the Family Federation churches that had been closed, Fujisawa Family Church was therefore able to return to its facilities at a relatively early stage. Sasaki recalls:

“Many members were truly delighted to be able to return to a place they had thought they would ‘never be able to use again.’”

Some members had been shocked by the reports of the dissolution and had stopped attending gatherings. But with the church facility restored, some of them have begun coming back.

One second-generation member, a man in his 20s, said:

“The atmosphere is completely different from an outside venue. It was difficult to participate when you had children with you, but it is much easier to come to the church facility.”

Nevertheless, Sasaki emphasizes that the situation remains difficult:

“There are still people whose wounds have not healed. That is precisely why we need to make further reforms so that the church can become an even more comfortable and welcoming place.”

He also spoke frankly about the situation nationwide:

“If you look across Japan, there are churches with no prospect of returning to their facilities. The Fujisawa church was simply fortunate. The real challenge begins now.”

See also When Public Narrative Becomes State Action

See also Media-Driven Hostility, Conformity, State Power

See also Apartment Turned Prison: 12 Years to Break Faith

Featured image above: Koasaburo Sasaki(々木耕三郎), pastor of Fujisawa Family Church, 27^th August afternoon, Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture. Photo: Takahide Ishii (石井 孝秀)

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