Japan’s Next Step: Indoctrination of Children

European human rights expert points out how the Japanese authorities with “cult experts” as advisors have stepped up their assault on large religious minority Family Federation by implementing plan that includes indoctrinating school children

In the third installment of her four-part series examining the treatment of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification – formerly the Unification Church – in Japan following the government’s dissolution proceedings against the movement, Paris-based international human rights attorney Patricia Duval turns her attention to a subject she considers particularly significant: the policies directed toward children of Family Federation families.

Continued in part 2: Japan’s Treatment of Faith Minority Families

See also When Raising Children in Faith Turns Suspicious

See also Japan: Only Freedom to Believe, Not to Practice

See also Supreme Court Upholds Dissolution of Federation

See also Ruling Leaves Serious Questions on Due Process

See also Did Korean Origins Shape Dissolution Outcome?

Published in the human rights and religious liberty magazine Bitter Winter on 3^rd June 2026, the article argues that the Japanese government’s response to controversies surrounding the Family Federation has evolved beyond legal actions against the religious organization itself and now encompasses educational, counseling, and child-protection initiatives aimed at minors whose parents belong to the movement.

Duval contends that these measures amount to a state-sponsored effort to indoctrinate children raised in Family Federation households and reshape their attitudes and beliefs. According to her analysis, the policies are presented by authorities as child-protection mechanisms but function, in practice, as programs designed to persuade children that their parents’ religious commitments have harmed them and that they should distance themselves from those beliefs.

The article focuses on two closely connected developments: the governmental action plan adopted in early 2024 and the official guidelines concerning what authorities describe as child abuse linked to religious beliefs. Together, Duval argues, these initiatives establish a framework through which schools, counselors, social workers, and child-protection agencies become active participants in monitoring, identifying, and intervening in the lives of children from certain religious communities.

Educational Programs and Awareness Campaigns

According to Duval, the governmental plan includes a variety of educational and counseling measures directed at young people. These initiatives are incorporated into schools and human rights education programs and are intended to increase awareness of issues associated with religion, particularly in relation to the Family Federation. Duval writes,

“The governmental measures adopted in January 2024 implement […] ‘awarenes-sraising‘ sessions organized as part of human rights courses, including ‘consumer education‘ on religious donations – as if donations to a church were a matter of consumer law – particularly regarding the “criminal financial activities” of the Unification Church, to make children ‘aware‘ of the problems that may arise from their parents’ membership in that church“.

She describes a system in which children are exposed to educational materials discussing alleged religious abuses, including cartoons, online forums, and classroom activities. Additional lessons are integrated into broader human rights and consumer education curricula. These sessions reportedly address religious donations and financial contributions made by members of the religious organization, presenting them as matters that may affect families and children.

Duval emphasizes that the government frames these programs as awareness-raising efforts. However, she argues that their underlying message encourages children to view their parents’ religious commitments as inherently problematic. In her interpretation, the educational content is structured to lead children toward the conclusion that membership in the Family Federation is associated with harmful behavior and that they may themselves be victims of that environment.

The article further notes that schools distribute materials encouraging students to seek assistance if they have concerns related to religion in their homes. These include contact information for counseling services and written forms through which children can communicate worries or request support.

Counseling and Psychological Intervention

A major concern raised by Duval involves the counseling infrastructure accompanying these initiatives. She notes that counselors involved in the program may receive training from former members of the Family Federation who are critical of the movement.

In her view, this creates a significant risk that counseling services will not remain neutral. Rather than offering balanced support, she argues, such programs may encourage children to reinterpret their upbringing through a framework that assumes religious involvement is the source of emotional or psychological harm.

The article also discusses the possibility of referrals to mental health services. Children who express anxiety or distress connected to their parents’ religious affiliation may be directed toward psychological evaluation or counseling. Duval questions whether such interventions are based on objective assessments of harm or whether they reflect a broader assumption that membership in a controversial religious group is itself a source of concern.

She suggests that the cumulative effect of these measures is to encourage children to reconsider their parents’ beliefs and authority through a lens shaped by state-sponsored educational and counseling programs.

Continued in Japan’s Treatment of Faith Minority Families

See also When Raising Children in Faith Turns Suspicious

See also Japan: Only Freedom to Believe, Not to Practice

See also Supreme Court Upholds Dissolution of Federation

See also Ruling Leaves Serious Questions on Due Process

See also Did Korean Origins Shape Dissolution Outcome?

See also: Japan: The Political Origins of Smear Campaign

See also Corporation Dissolved – Organization Remains

Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: Japanese junior high school students in Kyomizu showing “peace” sign. The persons in the picture have no known relation to the Family Federation. Photo (2009): RageZ / Wikimedia Commons. License: CC Attr 2.0 Gen 

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