Rebuttals Submitted to Tokyo Appeal Court

Tokyo press release: Family Federation hands in rebuttals and challenges closed-door proceedings and lack of evidence in dissolution case at Tokyo High Court

Written Rebuttals Submitted Against MEXT’s Claims, Which Are Not Based on Concrete Evidence

Press Release

Press release issued by the Family Federation of Japan 6^th August 2025 concerning lawyers submitting written counterarguments to MEXT’s evidence-free assertions. See original article in Japanese.

See also Writers, Clergy Urge Rethink of Media Narrative

See also Former EU Envoy: Arbitrary Dissolution Order

In the appeal proceedings concerning the dissolution order, on 30^th July and 5^th August we submitted Written Arguments (6) and (7) to the Tokyo High Court. Below is a summary of those submissions, and the full text (with some personal information redacted) is published in PDF format (Not attached here).

1. Written Argument (6)

Submitted on 30^th July 2025, this brief sets out legal considerations and arguments regarding the closed nature of the proceedings, which violates the principle of public trial guaranteed by Articles 32 and 82 of the Constitution. The main points are as follows:

① Constitutional Violation
We argue that the dissolution order proceedings being conducted behind closed doors violates Articles 32 and 82 of the Constitution. By disregarding the principle of public trial, the fairness and credibility of the court are undermined.

② Freedom of Religion and Strict Standards of Review
Freedom of religion is a constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right. Any regulation requires “compelling public interest” or the existence of a “clear and present danger.” The original decision fails to meet these standards and is rough and unjust.

③ Issues with Media Coverage of the Former Unification Church
The media imposed a biased reporting frame, unfairly demonizing members and the organization. Such coverage swayed public opinion and influenced the request for a dissolution order. We have presented claims based on data analysis supporting this point.

④ The Nature of Religion and Faith
Religion inherently contains elements that may not align with general social norms, and faith-based actions cannot be judged solely by rational criteria. A trial that fails to respect freedom of religion violates human dignity.

⑤ Essential Difference from Other Cases
This case is fundamentally different from incidents like Aum Shinrikyo [See editor’s note 1 below], as it concerns religion and the inner faith of believers. A dissolution order would have enormous consequences for members and the organization, requiring cautious and fair judgment.

2. Written Argument (7)

Submitted on 5^th August 2025, this brief addresses MEXT’s written rebuttal (response to our appeal) and presents counterarguments against both the original decision and the opposing party’s claims. (A comprehensive rebuttal to MEXT’s entire response will be submitted at a later date.) In this filing, we criticized the validity of the proceedings and judgments, calling for a fair trial based on concrete evidence.

① Problems with the Original Decision
Before applying the law, courts must establish concrete facts based on evidence. “Torts” are not raw facts, but legal evaluations made by judges. Thus, the facts alleged to constitute a tort must first be specifically shown (raw facts), after which it is determined whether they amount to a tort (legal evaluation).

The original decision, however, did not identify specific acts by the Family Federation or its members that would constitute grounds for dissolution, based on evidence. Instead, it inferred “torts” and “damages” merely from abstract facts such as notification letters or settlements, which is improper. In particular, no specific unlawful acts after the “Compliance Declaration” [See editor’s note 2 below] have been identified.

② Impropriety of the Opposing Party’s (MEXT’s) Response
Although the Tokyo High Court instructed MEXT to present specific evidence in rebuttal, they ignored this directive and continued with only abstract arguments, failing to provide concrete counterarguments.

③ Disregard for the Basic Structure of Trial
Trials must be conducted based on facts and evidence, yet the original decision ignored this and relied on speculation. It used the term “tort” in an abstract way, issuing the dissolution order without concrete factual support. This violates fundamental principles of judicial process and demonstrates the harmful effects of a “closed-door trial”.

See also Writers, Clergy Urge Rethink of Media Narrative

See also Former EU Envoy: Arbitrary Dissolution Order

Featured image above: From a demonstration in Kyoto 16th August 2025 against the dissolution order. Photo: FFWPU

[Editor’s note 1: Aum Shinrikyo, a Buddhist new religious movement founded in 1984 by Shoko Asahara, preaching apocalyptic prophecies. It was dissolved in 1996 due to its leaders’ criminal acts, including the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack in 1995 and the Matsumoto sarin incident in 1994.]

[Editor’s note 2: The 2009 compliance declaration of the Unification Church of Japan (now the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) was a formal commitment by the organization to reform its practices in response to longstanding public criticism and legal challenges.

The Unification Church in Japan had faced numerous allegations related to recruitment tactics and donation solicitation, termed “spiritual sales” (霊感商法) by a hostile network of activist lawyers who had declared the religious organization an enemy. These issues led to multiple lawsuits orchestrated by the activist lawyers and significant media backlash. This prompted the organization to take measures to restore its reputation and demonstrate compliance with legal and ethical standards.

The religious organization pledged to stop possibly unethical donation practices, including what the hostile network of lawyers claimed amounted to “pressuring members into making large financial contributions under spiritual pretexts.”

This was in response to accusations from the same activist lawyers that followers “were being manipulated into giving away substantial amounts of money or property.”

The Unification Church stated it would enhance internal oversight to ensure compliance with ethical and legal standards. Measures included better training for leaders and stricter guidelines for evangelization and solicitation of donations.

After this compliance declaration, there was a significant decrease in the number of lawsuits against the Unification Church – since 2015 called the Family Federation. The religious organization has used this as evidence that it has improved its practices and should not be subject to dissolution.]

Related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Lawfare: State Uses Legal System in War on Faith

Also related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: UN Report: Japan’s Lawfare Against Faith Minority

And also related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Protesting No Transparency in Closed-Door Trial

More, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Dangerous Flaws in Dissolution Order Decried

Also related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: “Lawyers Lying and Shaming Japan” for 50 Years

And also related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Japan Following the Way of China

And also related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Japan’s Dissolution Case Echoes China’s Playbook

More, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Media/Legal Expert: Communism Behind Persecution

And more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Militant Lawyers Dictate Government Policy

More, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Collusion to Rob Minority of Its Rights

And more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: State and Media Creating “Today’s Non-Citizens”

Still more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Japan Copying China: State Seizure of Churches

And still more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: 12 Religious Freedom NGOs Denouncing Japan

More, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: 4300 Abductions and Forcible Detentions

And more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Japan: Families Fear for Graves of Loved Ones

Yet more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Lawyers Manipulating, Coercing, Lying

Also related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Kishida Follows Anti-Family Federation Minister

Also related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Militant Lawyers Dictate Government Policy

Still more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Malicious One-Sided Government Source Selection

Yet more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Kishida’s Self-Defeating Populist Decisions

And still more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Japan Urged to Make U-Turn

And yet more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Dangerous Precedent to Crush Religions

And even more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Tendentious Reporting by New York Times

Still more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Japan Criticized for Glaring Rights Violations

Even more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Japan Following the Way of China

Yet more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Japanese Communists’ Final War

Still more, related to rebuttals submitted to appeal court: Political and Social Activism behind Oppression