Toru Goto’s Fight for Justice: Faith Under Siege

Justice prevails when victim of 12 years of horrendous abuse by anti-religious activists wins defamation case against one of them

Tokyo, 17th February 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article. 

[Series] The “Deadly Struggle” to Protect Freedom of Religion – 17 Years Since Toru Goto’s Release

Part 2: A Verdict That Turns the Discourse on Its Head

Eito Suzuki Loses Defamation Case

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

See part 1, part 3

See also Appealing Verdict Based on Mind Control Myth

“This case has shed light on the grave human rights violations of abduction and confinement.”

On 31st January, Toru Goto (後藤徹) – now 61 – representing the National Association of Victims of Abduction, Confinement, and Forced Conversion, shared his legal victory with supporters, who responded with applause.

This triumph came approximately one year and four months after Goto filed a defamation lawsuit against journalist Eito Suzuki (鈴木エイト) at the Tokyo District Court in October 2023. Suzuki had previously ridiculed Goto’s past abduction and confinement experience by dismissing him as a mere “hikikomori” (recluse) [See editor’s note below].

Background of the Case

Suzuki and attorneys from the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales (Zenkoku Benren) do not recognize abduction and confinement for the purpose of coercive faith-breaking as religious persecution. Instead, they argue that it is a form of “protective persuasion” by family members aimed at rescuing believers. They claim that lawsuits alleging human rights violations are merely desperate attempts by religious organizations to avoid dissolution.

Lawyer Shinichi Tokunaga (徳永信一), representing Goto, criticized the media for only presenting anti-religious organization perspectives and failing to report on the truth regarding coercive faith-breaking. He stressed that this verdict could be a pivotal step in overturning Japan’s discourse, which he described as “built on lies”.

Goto was held in captivity for 12 years and 5 months. In January 2011, he filed a civil lawsuit against his relatives, a Christian pastor, and an “anti-cult” activist involved in his confinement. In September 2015, the Supreme Court finalized the ruling, ordering the defendants to pay 22 million yen in damages.

However, Suzuki, in an online article published on 13^th March 2013, in Yaya Nikkan Cult Newspaper, downplayed Goto’s ordeal, stating:

“After persuading his family, he simply stayed in the apartment, became complacent, and ended up as a mere ‘hikikomori’ (recluse).” [See editor’s note below]

Even after the Supreme Court ruling, this article remained online. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) 1^st August 2023, Goto expressed his frustration:

“Does he not understand the suffering of being forcibly coerced into renouncing one’s faith?”

Despite the court ruling, Suzuki continued to call Goto a “hikikomori” in articles and television appearances. In an 15^th October 2015, article in Yaya Nikkan Cult Newspaper, he wrote:

“After 12 years of being a hikikomori, he won 20 million yen in court.”

On 12^th August 2022, during an appearance on Miyane-ya (a news program on Nippon TV), Suzuki described Goto’s lawsuit as a case where “the court was swayed by an unusual fervor.” He also claimed that Goto had been “practically in a hikikomori state, always free to leave if he wanted.”

Ongoing Defamation and Court Ruling

The defamation against Goto continued. In July 2023, Suzuki attended a symposium hosted by second-generation members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church). When asked by nonfiction writer Masumi Fukuda (福田ますみ) why he insisted on calling Goto a “hikikomori”, Suzuki replied dismissively:

“It doesn’t matter. Take it however you like.”

A few days later, he posted on X:

“There is no value in covering the ‘victim narratives’ of anti-social groups. It’s all irrelevant.”

The Tokyo District Court ruled that Suzuki’s statements in the 15th October 2015 Yaya Nikkan Cult Newspaper article and his August 2022 Miyaneya appearance constituted defamation. However, other statements, including his 2013 article, his comments at the 2023 symposium, and his X post, were not considered legally defamatory.

Goto’s legal team had also argued that Suzuki’s repeated use of “hikikomori” implied that Goto was a “liar and conman who is pretending to be a victim of confinement”, but this claim was not accepted by the court.

Appeal and Future Battles

Lawyer Tokunaga expressed his determination to appeal, vowing to challenge all dismissed claims in the higher court. As public sentiment remains strongly against the Family Federation, Goto fears that abduction and confinement cases may resurge. For him, this fight that cannot be lost continues.

See part 1, part 3

See also Appealing Verdict Based on Mind Control Myth

[Editor’s note: The Japanese term “hikikomori” (引きこもり) refers to people who completely withdraw from social life, often isolating themselves at home for extended periods – sometimes years. It describes both the phenomenon and the individuals affected by it.

Hikikomori typically avoid school, work, and social interactions, often due to anxiety, social pressure, or mental health struggles such as depression. The term is sometimes used in a derogatory way but is also recognized as a serious social issue in Japan and other countries.]

Featured image above: A press conference held after the verdict. From right: Lawyer Shinichi Tokunaga (徳永信一), Toru Goto (後藤徹), representative of the National Association of Victims of Abduction, Confinement, and Forced Conversion; and Lawyer Tatsuki Nakayama (中山達樹) – 31^st January 2025, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Photo: Takahide Ishii (石井孝秀).

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