Psychological Lynching: Coercive Faith-Breaking

Young Japanese man forcibly detained and isolated for over 12 years exposes the psychological lynching that is major part of dehumanizing coercive faith-breaking

Part 3 of a talk given 10^th February 2025, in Tokyo, at the official launch of the book “Deadly Struggle: Surviving 4,536 Days of Confinement” by Toru Goto (後藤徹), held captive for 12 years and 5 months in an attempt to have his faith broken.

See part 1, part 2, part 4, part 5, part 6

See also Apartment Prison: Faith-Breaking in Modern Japan

See also Appealing Verdict Based on Mind Control Myth

In my case, the deprogrammers were two individuals – Takashi Miyamura (宮村峻), a company president, and Yasutomo Matsunaga (松永堡智).

(Points to screen – see image to the right) This is what it looks like when deprogrammer Takashi Miyamura arrives at the apartment. This scene is the same in almost all cases. Miyamura sits in front of me, surrounded by my family and former believers. A group of former believers, who had left their faith under similar circumstances, formed a ring around me. It was truly a terrifying sight.

Among them was a “sister” of faith who had once taken great care of me. With tears in her eyes, she said,

“Goto-kun [See editor’s note below], you’ve done some ridiculous things, haven’t you?”

She tried to persuade me while crying. And in that setting, every imaginable criticism, slander, and attack was hurled at me – against Reverend Sun Myung Moon, against the Unification Church’s doctrine. Every day, without fail. It was a form of psychological lynching. They told me constantly,

• “You are being mind-controlled.”
• “You won’t be allowed to leave here until your brain starts working normally.”
• “You idiot, fool, devil.”

Of course, I had no way to contact the outside world. I couldn’t make phone calls or send letters. The information control was absolute. At one point, I asked Miyamura,

“Alright, I understand. But I’d like to look up a word – could you bring me a dictionary?”

He immediately dismissed me, saying, “That’s not necessary.”

But one day, he brought me a book, saying, “You must be bored, so read this.”

It was a book about early North Korean defectors. I immediately understood what he meant,

“Ah, I see. He wants me to wake up and escape my faith, just as these defectors escaped North Korea.”

Through extreme manipulation of information, they sought to reprogram my mind.

Of course, my ID had expired, and I had no legal proof of my identity. One day, while taking a bath, I noticed a small ventilation hole in the wall. I could faintly hear the voices of people on another floor. Thinking that I might be able to reach someone, I climbed onto the edge of the bathtub, pressed my mouth against the vent, and screamed as loud as I could:

“Help me! I’m being held captive here! Please call the police!”

I screamed until my throat was hoarse. But suddenly, I was forcefully yanked down from behind. As you can see in the diagram (see floor plan above to the right), the bathroom led to the kitchen.

I was dragged violently from the bathroom, past the kitchen, knocking over everything in my path – electrical appliances, furniture – until I was pulled into the innermost room of the flat. Who was it? It was Takashi Miyamura. My family had contacted him immediately. Whenever my relatives could no longer control me, he would show up and use violence to subdue me. That’s what happened inside the detention site.

By this time, I had been confined for six or seven years. Two weeks before my abduction, I had been filled with joy by my engagement, which I had been looking forward to so much. I wondered,

“What is my fiancée doing now? She must be desperately searching for me.”

The thought made my chest feel like it was being torn apart.

In my overwhelming loneliness and despair, there was only one small moment of comfort each day. It was when I heard the distant chimes of the song “Yuyake Koyake” from the neighborhood security broadcast in the evening. (“Yuyake Koyake” is a classic Japanese children’s song played at sunset to tell children it’s time to go home.) Around 5 PM, the faint melody drifted in from afar, urging children to return home. It seeped into my heart. Even in my isolation and despair, for just a brief moment, I felt comforted.

But there were times when I truly thought, “I just want to die here.”

Continued in part 4.

See part 1, part 2, part 4, part 5, part 6

See also Apartment Prison: Faith-Breaking in Modern Japan

See also Appealing Verdict Based on Mind Control Myth

[Editor’s note: In Japanese, “kun” (君 or くん) is an honorific suffix used after a person’s name. It is typically used in the following contexts: For boys and young men – “Kun” is commonly used for boys, younger men, or male subordinates. For example, a teacher might call a male student “Taro-kun”, or an older coworker might address a younger male colleague this way. In workplaces – In professional settings, a senior might use “kun” to address younger male colleagues or subordinates.]

Featured image above: Psychological lynching by professional faith-breaker Takashi Miyamura and deconverted believers. Illustration: National Association of Victims of Abduction, Confinement, and Forced Deconversion

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