Court Win Calls Dissolution Case into Question

“Mind control” argument rejected as unfounded in court win raising doubts about the logic behind the dissolution order against the Family Federation

Tokyo, 21st April 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article. 

Inheritance Issue Recast as Donation Damage Case

Family Federation Wins in Sapporo High Court

by the Religious Freedom Investigative Team of the editorial department of Sekai Nippo

See also Court Dismisses Religious “Mind Control” Claims

The Tokyo District Court’s decision on 25^th March to issue a dissolution order for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Family Federation, formerly the Unification Church) stirred controversy by recognizing the organization’s conduct as unlawful based on “inference”.

However, in a case heard the same month at the Sapporo High Court, the Family Federation’s alleged “unlawful conduct” was completely dismissed, leading the plaintiff to abandon their claim. This was the case involving Kousuke Yamabe (a man in his 60s, alias), a Family Federation member living in Sapporo.

The collapse of the mind control theory

Yamabe was sued in September 2019 for approximately 26 million yen in damages by his two sisters and younger brother. They claimed he used the savings of their late father – who died in 2017 – for donations to the religious organization. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Masaki Gouro (郷路征記) from the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales (Zenkoku Benren), also named the Family Federation as a defendant.

Lawyer Gouro, who had previously handled a similar “Return My Youth” case in Sapporo, accused the religious organization in the lawsuit of having incited Yamabe, asserting that they instilled faith in the Yamabe couple and used it to “extract money”. In written arguments, the lawyer further claimed that Family Federation believers’ entire personalities are permanently transformed into a “Unification Church personality” (統一協会的人格), making them subservient (隷属) and compelled to commit unlawful acts due to indoctrination.

Yamabe said, “I thought the issue would center on whether or not we had our father’s consent.” Yamabe was however angered when the plaintiffs took a stance completely denying his religious beliefs, essentially pushing a “mind control” theory. “It felt like they were mocking me,” he said. He also felt it was wrong that “they use my family to their advantage by entangling the issue of religion into an inheritance dispute between siblings.”

Yamabe and his wife Yachiyo (alias, also in her 60s) began living with his father – who had been living alone – in 1994. They assisted with farming and supported him in daily life. While the father, a farmer, disliked religion, he rarely commented on his son and daughter-in-law’s faith.

By 2015, due to old age, the father stopped driving and relied increasingly on the Yamabes for errands. Though strict with money, he gave them a cash card and said they could use it “in times of need”. The couple used the funds for living and education expenses and made donations for ancestral rites held by the religious organization.

Yamabe insists, “We had our father’s approval.” However, in 2016, when the father’s health declined, the sisters visited the Yamabe’s home. In the couple’s absence, they searched the house and took the father’s bankbooks and cash cards. They saw the withdrawal history and assumed most of it was for donations, leading to outrage and a family meeting.

There were also suspicious aspects: they took not only the father’s passbooks but also Yamabe’s own credit card and even a radio cassette player belonging to Yamabe’s high school-aged child. Their justification was that the money might be used for “weird religious stuff” but that didn’t explain taking the child’s belongings. Moreover, the eldest sister, after taking the father’s passbook, was later found to have used up several million yen from the account.

The plaintiffs also exaggerated their claims. For example, a 500,000 yen repair for a self-inflicted car accident by the father was counted as a “loss” even though it clearly wasn’t a donation – showing a sloppy approach.

“Baseless accusations” from the plaintiffs

In November of that year, the sisters escalated the conflict with physical violence. While Yamabe was away, the sisters confronted Yachiyo at home. When she explained the donations, one sister became furious, slapped her, pulled her hair “so hard that her body lifted off the floor,” and splashed water from a pan on the stove on her. According to court records, the sisters claimed it was just “lukewarm water”, but Yachiyo suffered significant fear and mental trauma.

However, according to Yamabe’s testimony and recorded evidence, their late father – while trying to keep peace with the sisters – never demanded repayment or expressed disapproval toward Yamabe.

In the first trial at the Sapporo District Court, all claims against the Family Federation were dismissed on 7^th March last year. Though the plaintiffs appealed, on 12^th March this year they acknowledged the claims lacked grounds and withdrew the case. Yamabe settled with them privately for 4 million yen.

A person involved in the defense commented, “Because the plaintiffs weren’t the ones who made the donations, they had no grasp of the factual circumstances. Their claims were based on assumptions.” One must wonder whether lawsuits like this, based on “inference” of wrongdoing by the religious organization, contributed to the Tokyo District Court’s decision to dissolve the Family Federation. If so, it raises serious questions.

Reflecting on the outcome, Yamabe said, “Since their demands weren’t met, I see it as a victory.”

See also Court Dismisses Religious “Mind Control” Claims

Featured image above: Kousuke Yamabe (alias) speaks about his personal experience, in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Photo: Takahide Ishii (石井孝秀)

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