Supreme Court Upholds Dissolution of Federation

A contested Japanese Supreme Court ruling predicting future misconduct: Can a religious organization be dissolved for what it might do?

Tokyo, 23^rd June 2026 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.

[Editorial]

Supreme Court Orders Dissolution of Family Federation Based on Speculation, Ignoring Religious Freedom

by the editorial department of Sekai Nippo

The Supreme Court has dismissed the special appeal filed by the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly known as the Unification Church), finalizing the dissolution of the religious corporation. The organization had argued that the dissolution violated the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. It also maintained that lawsuits concerning excessive donations and related issues had become extremely rare after the religious organization‘s 2009 “Compliance Declaration” [See editor’s note below] and therefore did not justify dissolution.

See also Ruling Leaves Serious Questions on Due Process

See also Dissolution Case: Pseudoscience Shaping Verdict

See also: Verdict Under the Shadow of “Mind Control” Myth

See also Japan’s Treatment of Faith Minority Families

See also Did Korean Origins Shape Dissolution Outcome?

See also: The Contradictions of the Dissolution Order

The Supreme Court’s decision states that the dissolution “does not entail any legal effect whatsoever that prohibits or restricts believers’ religious activities.” However, since the Tokyo High Court‘s dissolution order on 4^th March, which triggered the legal effects of liquidation, believers have been unable to enter church buildings, and church funerals and weddings can no longer be held. Prohibiting such important events in people’s lives is effectively equivalent to infringing upon fundamental human freedoms. Furthermore, the testimonies of many believers were not taken into consideration at all.

Regarding the religious organization‘s past misconduct cited in the ruling, the improvements made after the “Compliance Declaration” [See editor’s note below] were ignored. The Court reasoned that “in the future, with respect to believers”, there remains a risk that the organization could “solicit donations by setting numerical targets that are difficult or impossible to achieve,” and that it is “highly likely” such solicitation practices could occur. Based on this assessment, the Court decided to dissolve the religious organization. Many experts – including lawyers, constitutional scholars, journalists, and commentators – have pointed out that a dissolution order based on speculation is problematic.

Most troubling of all is that the ruling has completely fulfilled the objective of the defendant in the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三), whose motive was to vent his resentment toward the religious organization to which his mother belonged. At the same time, public opinion has shown little criticism of the assassination of a politician itself.

See also Ruling Leaves Serious Questions on Due Process

See also Corporation Dissolved – Organization Remains

See also Dissolution Case: Pseudoscience Shaping Verdict

See also: Verdict Under the Shadow of “Mind Control” Myth

See also Japan’s Treatment of Faith Minority Families

See also Did Korean Origins Shape Dissolution Outcome?

See also Brussels Press Conference Condemns Dissolution

See also Japanese Court Assumes the Role of Inquisitor

See also: The Contradictions of the Dissolution Order

Featured image above: The Supreme Court of Japan. Photo: 江戸村のとくぞう / Wikimedia Commons. License: CC ASA 4.0 Int

[Editor’s note: 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.]

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