Domino Effect of Religious Persecution in Asia

As the left-leaning Lee administration in South Korea is looking for ways to copy measures in Japan praised by China, a domino effect can be observed

A speech by Rev. Masaichi Hori, President of the Family Federation (FFWPU) in Japan, delivered at the special dinner program on 2^nd February during the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit 2026 at the Hilton Hotel, Washington DC.

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Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests. It is an honor to speak on behalf of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification-Japan at the IRF Summit 2026. I sincerely thank Ambassador Sam Brownback and Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett for this wonderful IRF Summit.

Last year, my predecessor, Rev. Tomihiro Tanaka, said that the Family Federation in Japan was in danger of being dissolved by the government, and called for support of religious freedom in Japan.

Unfortunately, that crisis became a reality. On 25^th March last year, the Tokyo District Court issued a ruling ordering the dissolution of the Family Federation. This decision is being appealed to the High Court.

The High Court ruling is expected to be made in March at the latest. If we lose in the High Court, the religious corporation will be liquidated. This is not just a revocation of tax exemption, but the corporation will cease to exist and will lose all rights to its assets.

Historically, dissolution of a religious corporation required the breaking of a “criminal law” and the Family Federation has never committed any criminal offenses.

However, the ruling of the Tokyo District Court was based on civil tort judgments that invoked the vague concept of “public welfare” and “social appropriateness,” which is not accepted by the United Nations.

On 1^st October last year, the United Nations forcefully spoke out about the escalating discrimination against religious minorities in Japan. Four UN Special Rapporteurs [See editor’s note below], including Dr. Nazila Ghanea, Rapporteur on religious freedom, warned against the dissolution of Family Federation.

The UN Press Release clearly states,

“The civil tort rulings on which the dissolution decision was based on relies on the violation of ‘social appropriateness’ which were deemed to constitute a serious harm to ‘public welfare’.

As previously noted by the Human Rights Committee, the concept of ‘public welfare’ is vague and open-ended and may permit restrictions exceeding those permissible under the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).”

Two of these four UN Special Rapporteurs have expressed their desire to visit Japan but are unable to enter the country as the Japanese government continues to ignore their requests.

What I want to emphasize here today is that this is not simply an issue for the Family Federation or for Japan alone. It is the downfall of a model democratic country in Asia, and it is the start of a domino effect of religious persecution that is spreading to other democracies and nations throughout Asia, and ultimately to the world.

Dr. Katrina Lantos-Swett, the co-chair of this IRF Summit, wrote an article in RealClear Politics, entitled “Democracies in Asia risk failing on Religious Freedom.” She stated,

“Dissolving a religious organization that has not been found guilty of any crime would taint the image of Japan as a country committed to democratic principles.”

There are clear facts that show that other democracies are copying Japan. Now South Korea is trying to copy Japan. In last December, President Lee Jae-myung in his cabinet meeting called for the Minister of Legislative Affairs to study Japan’s efforts to dissolve a religion to see if they can apply it in Korea.

Who is supporting this domino effect? Renowned scholar of religious freedom, Dr. Massimo Introvigne, found that it is China. On 18^th April 2025, the China Anti-Cult Association, which is directly under the Chinese Communist Party, released a public statement celebrating the decision by the Tokyo District Court to dissolve the Family Federation. The CCP-controlled association clearly stated that the Tokyo District Court decision will “become an example for other countries to deal with cult issues.”

Who can stop the religious persecution that is spreading across Asia and the world? I believe it is the United States and its allies. Currently, we have been in a situation like a prisoner waiting for the death sentence that will be carried out in a few weeks.

I sincerely urge you to sound the alarm before it’s too late. We have faith, and we believe that God and people of faith will prevail in Japan, South Korea, and all over the world.

Personally, I arrived here the day after my mother’s funeral to deliver this speech. It was a bit tough for me. But I am certain my mother who was part of the first generation of this movement, would be pleased. Thank you to IRF and the White House Faith Office for leading the way.

See also China-Linked Accounts Ran Anti-Takaichi Barrage

See also Japan: “MEXT Fabrication” Storm Grows Online

See also Big Loss for anti-Church Centrist Alliance

See also Mother Han Released 10 Days for Medical Reasons

See also Emotional Scenes as Mother Han Is Freed Briefly

See also Media on Succession: Who Leads after Mother Han?

See also Japan: Lawyers Accused of Wilful Dehumanization

See also One Month In: Probe into Faith, Funds, and Favors

Featured image above: Rev. Masaichi Hori delivering his speech in Washington DC 2nd February 2026. Screenshot from video by FFWPU

[Editor’s note: A Special Rapporteur (or Independent Expert) is an independent human rights expert appointed by the United Nations (UN) to provide reports or advice on human rights issues from either a thematic or country-specific perspective. These experts are selected by the UN Human Rights Council and operate independently of any government, playing a crucial role in monitoring the actions of sovereign nations and democratically elected governments.

Special Rapporteurs do not receive financial compensation from the United Nations for their work. However, they receive support from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and are often funded by charities and corporations. Annually, they convene in Geneva to discuss common issues, coordinate their efforts, and engage with various stakeholders, including states and civil society organizations.

These experts frequently conduct fact-finding missions to investigate human rights violation allegations in different countries. In addition to these missions, they regularly review complaints from alleged victims of human rights abuses. If a complaint is verified, they send an urgent letter or appeal to the concerned government. Even without a specific complaint, Special Rapporteurs can intervene on behalf of individuals or groups at their discretion.]

Related to domino effect: Lawfare: State Uses Legal System in War on Faith

Also related to domino effect: MEXT’s Legal Spin and “Dissolution at All Costs”

Also related to domino effect: UN Report: Japan’s Lawfare Against Faith Minority

And also related to domino effect: Protesting No Transparency in Closed-Door Trial

More, related to domino effect: Dangerous Flaws in Dissolution Order Decried

Also related to domino effect: “Lawyers Lying and Shaming Japan” for 50 Years

And also related to domino effect: Japan Following the Way of China

And also related to domino effect: Japan’s Dissolution Case Echoes China’s Playbook

More, related to domino effect: Media/Legal Expert: Communism Behind Persecution

And more, related to domino effect: Militant Lawyers Dictate Government Policy

More, related to domino effect: Collusion to Rob Minority of Its Rights

And more, related to domino effect: State and Media Creating “Today’s Non-Citizens”

Still more, related to domino effect: Japan Copying China: State Seizure of Churches

And still more, related to domino effect: 12 Religious Freedom NGOs Denouncing Japan

More, related to domino effect: 4300 Abductions and Forcible Detentions

And more, related to domino effect: Japan: Families Fear for Graves of Loved Ones

Yet more, related to domino effect: Lawyers Manipulating, Coercing, Lying

Also related to domino effect: Kishida Follows Anti-Family Federation Minister

Also related to domino effect: Militant Lawyers Dictate Government Policy

Still more, related to domino effect: Malicious One-Sided Government Source Selection

Yet more, related to domino effect: Kishida’s Self-Defeating Populist Decisions

And still more, related to domino effect: Japan Urged to Make U-Turn

And yet more, related to domino effect: Dangerous Precedent to Crush Religions

Even more, related to domino effect: Japan Following the Way of China

Yet more, related to domino effect: Japanese Communists’ Final War

Still more, related to domino effect: Political and Social Activism behind Oppression