New Laws Let Lawyers Aid Many to Pose as Victim

Christian leader points out that new laws in Japan let lawyers assist many to exploit the laws, pose as victim, and extort money from religious minority in a way that resembles a “form of organized crime”

Tokyo, 25th November 2024 – Published as the 39th article in a series in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article

Series: Freedom of Religion Under Threat – Part 6: Voices of Religious Leaders

Tsukishiro Christian Church – Pastor Ryuichi Sunagawa

Evaluating Anti-Communist Activities

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

See part 1: The Kishida Administration’s Reckless Actions: 1st article, 2nd article, 3rd article, 4th article, 5th article, 6th article

See part 2: Ripples to Local Assemblies: 7th article, 8th article, 9th article, 10th article, 11th article, 12th article, 13th article, 14th article, 15th article

See part 3: Believers Suffering Discrimination and Human Rights Violations: 16th article, 17th article, 18th article, 19th article, 20th article, 21st article, 22nd article

See part 4: Media Crossing the Line: 23rd article, 24th article, 25th article, 26th article, 27th article, 28th article 

See part 5: The Distorted Image of the “Second-Generation”: 29th article, 30th article, 31st article, 32nd article, 33rd article, 34th article, 35th article, 36th article, 37th article, 38th article

See part 6: Voices of Religious Leaders: 40th article, 41st article, 42nd article, 43rd article, 44th article, 45th article, 46th article

See part 7: Religion in Japan in a Global Context: 47th article, 48 article, 49th article, 50th article, 51st article, 52nd article, 53rd article, 54th article, 55th article

See Epilogue: 56th article, 57th article, 58th article

In front of the Okinawa Prefectural Office, there is a man who alone regularly delivers street speeches. He is Pastor Ryuichi Sunagawa (砂川竜一) of Tsukishiro Christian Church in Nanjo City, located in the southern part of Okinawa’s main island.

Pastor Sunagawa is known for his outspoken views, calling for the resignation of Governor Denny Tamaki (玉城デニ), whom he criticizes for failing to uphold a Supreme Court ruling regarding the relocation of a U.S. military base. Additionally, he identifies parental gambling addiction as the greatest factor contributing to children’s unhappiness. This concern led him to run for the Nanjo City Council election for the first time in April 2022. Despite being a pastor, Sunagawa stands out for his strong interest and active engagement in politics.

Pastor Ryuichi Sunagawa has expressed strong anger over the government’s request for a disbandment order against the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church). He questions why the media is so hostile toward the organization. Regarding its connections with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三), Sunagawa stated,

“Based on the facts I have seen and heard, there was nothing inappropriate about their relationship.”

He was of the opinion that

“the public has been misled into accepting the narrative that ‘Prime Minister Abe was assassinated because the Unification Church was evil’.”

Sunagawa pointed out that it was only natural for the former Unification Church to have close ties with former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi (岸信介元) and members of the Liberal Democratic Party, considering that the church‘s founder, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, was a frontrunner in the fight against communism. He praised the Family Federation as “the only religious organization that has stood squarely against a demonic communism that denies God.”

During a symposium on religious freedom held in Naha City on 3rd November 2024, Sunagawa quoted from John 8:44 to emphasize,

“The devil is a liar. The devil is a murderer. And the devil is the father of lies.”

He argued,

“The International Federation for Victory over Communism (IFVOC) and the former Unification Church, which supports it, are enemies of the devil. Therefore, we must stand with them.”

Sunagawa praised the reforms undertaken by the Family Federation and said,

“There may have been issues in the past, such as large donations and ‘spiritual sales’ practices, but the attitude of reform and transformation is what truly matters.”

Referring to the organization‘s rebranding as the Family Federation, he expressed hope that it would continue evolving into “a group that brings joy to God.”

Since its compliance declaration in 2009, the Family Federation has reportedly restrained excessive donations that conflict with donors’ financial situations. However, Sunagawa criticized the media’s failure to acknowledge these changes, remarking,

“Despite becoming an organization that values family, the public discourse continues to condemn it based solely on past scandals, without recognizing its progress. This is a dangerous tendency.”

Nevertheless, the government enacted a special law for victim relief in December last year (2023). Sunagawa expressed concerns about potential repercussions for other religious groups. He warned that donation refund demands could arise from other religious organizations’ members or their families. He noted,

“I can understand the psychology of former members who, due to a change of heart, demand the return of past donations. However, it is alarming that families or relatives who have not suffered any harm team up with lawyers and pose as victims to sue and extort money, exploiting these laws for financial gain. This ‘victim business’ is becoming a form of organized crime.”

Sunagawa also critiqued Japan’s religious corporation system. While acknowledging that religious entities enjoy strong protections, such as tax benefits, he highlighted abuses within the system, stating, “Many religious organizations exist primarily to evade taxes.”

Ryuichi Sunagawa also pointed out the need to review the system surrounding religious corporations,

“Faith should inherently benefit believers, their families, and the community, and should not be a membership club for the benefit of specific organizations or political groups. To prevent illegal activities within these corporations, it may be necessary for the government to have some degree of oversight over all religious corporations in the future.”

Featured image above: Pastor Ryuichi Sunagawa, Tsukishiro Christian Church, Nanjo City, Okinawa, Japan. Photo: Sekai Nippo

See part 1: The Kishida Administration’s Reckless Actions: 1st article, 2nd article, 3rd article, 4th article, 5th article, 6th article

See part 2: Ripples to Local Assemblies: 7th article, 8th article, 9th article, 10th article, 11th article, 12th article, 13th article, 14th article, 15th article

See part 3: Believers Suffering Discrimination and Human Rights Violations: 16th article, 17th article, 18th article, 19th article, 20th article, 21st article, 22nd article

See part 4: Media Crossing the Line: 23rd article, 24th article, 25th article, 26th article, 27th article, 28th article 

See part 5: The Distorted Image of the “Second-Generation”: 29th article, 30th article, 31st article, 32nd article, 33rd article, 34th article, 35th article, 36th article, 37th article, 38th article

See part 6: Voices of Religious Leaders: 40th article, 41st article, 42nd article, 43rd article, 44th article, 45th article, 46th article

See part 7: Religion in Japan in a Global Context: 47th article, 48 article, 49th article, 50th article, 51st article, 52nd article, 53rd article, 54th article, 55th article

See Epilogue: 56th article, 57th article, 58th article

Related to new laws let many pose as victim: Maverick Minister Lets “3 Foxes in the Henhouse”

More related to new laws let many pose as victim: Journalist Reveals Ugly Leftwing Conspiracy

Still more related to new laws let many pose as victim: Militant Lawyers Dictate Government Policy

More related to new laws let many pose as victim: Courts Using Debunked Concepts Against Minority

Also related to new laws let many pose as victim: Dissolution Case: Wild Claims, Illegal Actions

Also related to new laws let many pose as victim: Terms from Consumer Law Used to Rob Faith

Also related to new laws let many pose as victim: 2nd-Generation Members Protesting Persecution

Also related to new laws let many pose as victim: Inhuman Government-Supported Mass Deprogramming

And also related to new laws let many pose as victim: Bias: No Right to Respond for Religious Minority

More, related to new laws let many pose as victim: Collusion to Rob Minority of Its Rights

And more, related to new laws let many pose as victim: State and Media Creating “Today’s Non-Citizens”

Still more, related to new laws let many pose as victim: Japan Criticized for Glaring Rights Violations

Even more related to new laws let many pose as victim: Two European Scholars Warning Japan

And yet more related to new laws let many pose as victim: Japan Censured at Religious Freedom Event

And still more related to new laws let many pose as victim: Lawyer Exposes Dirty Leftwing Plot

And even more related to new laws let many pose as victim: Inhuman Government-Supported Mass Deprogramming

And still more related to new laws let many pose as victim: Malicious One-Sided Government Source Selection

More related to new laws let many pose as victim: Government’s Foul Play Pointed Out

More related to new laws let many pose as victim: Kishida Has Opened Can of Worms