Japan: Media Defiling Sacred Events and Places

Family Federation protests one-sided and hostile reporting in BS-TBS, a Japanese media outlet that shows blatant disrespect for sacred site and ceremony in South Korea

Press Release 18th April 2025, by the Public Relations Department of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification of Japan, translated from Japanese. See Japanese original version.

Letter of Protest Sent to BS-TBS “Hōdō 1930”

Press Release

Press Release 18^th April 2025
Family Federation for World Peace and Unification
Public Relations Department

On 16^th April broadcast of the BS television program “Hōdō 1930,” produced by BS-TBS [See editor’s note below], a one-sided and biased report was aired about our organization without any attempt to conduct interviews or seek comment from us. In response, we have sent a formal “Protest and Request for Apology and Retraction” to BS-TBS. The full text is below.

18^th April 2025
To:
BS-TBS, Inc.
President and CEO, Mr. Hideki Isano (佐野英樹)
TBS Television, News Bureau, News Program Center, BS News Department
Chief Director of “Hōdō 1930,” Mr. Mizuki Ishikawa (石川瑞樹)

From:
Family Federation for World Peace and Unification
1-1-2 Shoto, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0046
Director of Public Relations and External Affairs, Takuya Sawada (澤田拓也)

Protest and Request for Apology and Retraction

On 16^th April broadcast of your BS television program “Hōdō 1930,” your company aired a one-sided and biased report regarding our organization, without conducting any interviews with us.

It is clear that the content of the program violates Article 4 of the Broadcasting Act, which states that “reporting must not distort facts” and that “for issues with conflicting opinions, points of view should be presented from as many angles as possible.” Accordingly, we strongly protest and firmly demand an apology and a correction or removal of the broadcast content (including versions posted on YouTube and other social media).

The program in question focused on a sacred religious ceremony, the “Cheonwon Temple and Cheonil Sanctum Inauguration Ceremony”, hosted by the international headquarters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (hereafter referred to as “Family Federation”) and held in South Korea on 13^th April. The program slandered the event, claiming it was “a new method of fundraising through deceit” and accusing the organization of “gathering and controlling Japanese believers in Korea through workshops and liberation/blessing ceremonies.”

In fact, the expenses related to the event were covered by donations from Family Federation members and supporters around the world. The claim that Japanese believers bore an excessive financial burden is simply false.

Furthermore, the “HJ Cheonju Cheonbo Training Center”, operated by the Family Federation in Korea, is a sacred site visited by members from around the world. The program insultingly portrayed those participating in the workshops and ancestor liberation/blessing ceremonies as if they were being “controlled and dominated”, which we find completely unacceptable.

In addition, the program falsely characterized second- and third-generation members who took part in the international mass blessing ceremony held on 12^th April as “victims of financial exploitation”, stating that the gratitude donation from participating couples was 1,4 million yen. This is inaccurate.

For reference, the gratitude donation from second- and third-generation members participating in the blessing ceremony is 200,000 yen [ca. $ 1,400].

There were numerous other factual inaccuracies in the program that are too numerous to list here. These mistakes clearly stem from your failure to conduct any interviews with our organization.

For all of the above reasons, we strongly protest and once again demand an apology and either correction or removal of the broadcast content.

We expect a sincere written response within one week of receiving this document.

End

[Editor’s note: TBS = Tokyo Broadcasting System, a large private commercial broadcaster, is the flagship of Japan News Network (JNN) in Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures. BS-TBS is a satellite broadcasting station with headquarter in Tokyo.]

Featured image above: TBS Holdings HQ. TBS Television is a subsidiary of TBS Holdings. Photo: Akonnchiroll / Wikimedia Commons. License: CC ASA 4.0 Int

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