Liquidation Takes Psychological Toll on Members

Survey after Japanese dissolution and church closures finds nearly 90% of believers report psychological distress

Tokyo, 13^th August 2026 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.

Nearly 90% Report Distress, Many Have Sought Medical Care

Believers Suffering Severe Psychological Distress: Interim Report by Family Federation

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

The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU; formerly the Unification Church), a religious organization, has conducted a questionnaire survey concerning the harm suffered by its members since 4^th March, when liquidation proceedings began following the decision to dissolve the religious corporation. The survey found that nearly 90% of respondents reported experiencing psychological distress. In many cases, the distress was attributed to being unable to use church facilities. Although guidelines adopted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) concerning the liquidation of “designated religious corporations” explicitly call for consideration of freedom of religion, the situation has revealed a contradiction between those guidelines and the actual implementation of the liquidation proceedings.

Liquidation Has Prevented Members from Using Facilities for Worship and Other Activities

An Extraordinary Treatment Resembling That of Criminals

Shortly after the Tokyo High Court issued its dissolution decision at 11 a.m., on the same day, liquidators and their deputies visited FFWPU facilities throughout Japan. At some churches, police cars arrived at the premises, creating scenes that appeared almost as though police powers were being exercised. Numerous media organizations also gathered with television cameras, creating the impression that the members inside the churches were criminals who were about to be arrested for having committed some offense. According to the report, many members were deeply shocked by the way they were portrayed.

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Following the decision, the religious corporation was converted into a liquidation corporation. Members were no longer permitted to enter church facilities, while many employees were dismissed. Some remained employed by the liquidation corporation because their services were deemed necessary for the liquidation process.

The Greatest Concern Is Isolation

Meanwhile, the organization, which has a large number of members, maintained the Family Federation as a religious organization in July, with Masaichi Hori, who had served as president when it was still a religious corporation, becoming its president. Beginning 15^th July, it conducted an “All-Members Victim Survey” to investigate the harm suffered by members since the liquidation proceedings began on 4^th March.

According to figures compiled as of August 12, 86.6% of the 10,594 respondents reported experiencing psychological distress.

The breakdown was as follows:

• 14.1% (1,492 respondents): “Feeling it extremely strongly”
• 23.0% (2,437): “Feeling it strongly”
• 32.2% (3,408): “Feeling it to some extent”
• 17.3% (1,830): “Feeling it somewhat”

Among those who reported psychological distress, 288 respondents said that they had visited a psychosomatic medicine or mental-health clinic.

In addition, 3,093 respondents reported an impact on their physical health, of whom 451 said they had visited a hospital.

The Federation’s Public Relations and External Affairs Office has been encouraging members to participate in the survey while also periodically publishing the results on YouTube since 22^nd July. It has reported receiving accounts from members experiencing psychological distress such as:

“The church, which had been my emotional refuge, was taken away from me. I lost the will to live and became unable even to leave my house,” and “There were many consecutive nights when I could not sleep.”

The religious organization also reported cases involving children who had attended church together with their parents. Some of these children have reportedly become frightened and hypersensitive to even small noises, fearing that police officers might suddenly enter their homes.

People who join religious organizations often already have emotional vulnerabilities or personal concerns, and the Family Federation is said to be no exception. It is not difficult to imagine the shock and emotional pain caused when a place where someone had found “salvation” through religious teachings and interaction with other people suddenly disappears.

For example, in the series “Where Will the Believers Go?”, published by this newspaper in June last year, the then pastor of the Suginami Family Church in Tokyo testified that “the disappearance of a church is not simply a matter of losing a place for worship.”

He said, “The greatest loss is the disappearance of the community that has been formed around the church facilities.” In particular, he was concerned about opposition and isolation within families faced by people who were the only member of their household to belong to the religious organization.

The church also had many elderly members, and he expressed concern that among members who had been widowed, “there could be an increase in deaths in solitude.”

Liquidators Showing Little Consideration for Freedom of Religion

The Guidelines Are Being Rendered Meaningless

On 20^th October last year, anticipating the dissolution and liquidation of the Family Federation as a religious corporation, MEXT adopted its “Guidelines Concerning the Liquidation of Designated Religious Corporations.”

The guidelines explicitly state that freedom of religion should be taken into consideration insofar as doing so does not interfere with the liquidation process. They state, among other things:

“When managing and disposing of the property of the liquidation corporation, liquidators are expected to take into consideration the freedom of religion of members of the existing religious organization, including by permitting them to use facilities, insofar as this does not interfere with liquidation work and taking into account the degree of necessity and other relevant factors.”

Many members have called for permission to hold worship services in church facilities.

In a contribution to this newspaper, Pastor Hiroshi Kurose of Tokyo West Baptist Church stated:

“It is only natural that liquidators should carry out the liquidation process in a manner that does not infringe upon the freedom of religion of the religious organization. At present, the liquidators have seized all of the Family Federation’s places of worship. Since places of worship are essential to religious activities, they must immediately be returned to the Family Federation.”

The liquidators have so far announced that they have seized assets worth more than ¥80 billion (ca. US$ 501 million) from the religious organization.

Is that not more than sufficient?

The fact that the liquidators and the court supervising them have deliberately refrained from implementing the provision in the guidelines that permits members to use facilities “insofar as this does not interfere with liquidation work” constitutes a biased response and raises human-rights concerns.

Attempting, through the practical administration of the liquidation proceedings, to render the wording of the guidelines meaningless amounts to an infringement of freedom of religion and should be avoided.

See also Japan: FFWPU Case Signals Dangerous State Power

See also When Children Are Taught to Suspect the Parents

See also “Even 20 Years If Needed”: Believers Vow to Endure

See also Lawyers Desperately Hunt for Japanese “Victims”

See also Against the Odds, Fujisawa Church Reopens

See also When Public Narrative Becomes State Action

Featured image above: Family Federation place of worship in Japan closed due to dissolution. Illustration: ChatGPT, 13^th August 2026.

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