Was the Appointment of Hostile Judge Deliberate?

Appointment of supreme court judge with record of hostility toward Family Federation sparks outrage among young believers losing trust in the trial itself as “death sentence” seems foregone conclusion

Tokyo, 26^th May 2026 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.

“We Want a Fair Hearing We Can Accept”

Second-Generation Followers of the Family Federation Hold Press Conference

by editorial staff of the Sekai Nippo

Regarding the dissolution order against the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly known as the Unification Church), following the filing on 21^st May of a motion to disqualify Justice Masami Okino (沖野眞已) – who is handling the special appeal – by attorneys advising the religious organization, the “Association of Second-Generation Members Protecting Believers’ Human Rights,” composed mainly of second-generation believers, held a press conference in Tokyo on 26^th May.

See also Supreme Court Justice with Hostile Views

See also Believers’ Last Hope for Fair Trial Crushed

See also Japan’s Treatment of Faith Headed to The Hague?

See also Law Expert: Too Weak Legal Basis for Dissolution

See also Flawed Reasoning of a Politician Backing Torts

See also Beyond Dissolution: A Religious Purge in Japan?

The group expressed concern over comments made by Justice Okino in July 2024 at a seminar hosted by National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales (Zenkoku Benren) on the topic of “spiritual-sales fraud”, where the justice reportedly voiced negative views regarding missionary activities and donations by believers. The group stated that they were “shocked” by those remarks and called for a fair trial.

Nozomi Kojima (小嶌希晶 – 30), the group’s leader, said that Justice Okino’s past views themselves were “a matter of personal freedom”, but added,

“A person with those kinds of beliefs and ideology should not be serving in a deliberative role that requires neutrality and fairness.”

Showing deep frustration, Kojima further stated:

“If the decision were made through a fair trial, we could accept it and come to terms with it, even if it meant dissolution. That was our only ray of hope amid the despair, but even that has been taken away, and it’s painful to be subjected to proceedings that anyone can see are unfair.”

Satoshi Komura (小村聡士 – 31), a current second-generation believer, described the Supreme Court’s judgment as “the last hope for believers,” and stressed that if Justice Okino’s appointment was deliberate, “trust in the trial itself would be lost.”

International lawyer Tatsuki Nakayama (中山達樹) said that he did not know how the motion or the special appeal would ultimately be decided, but added:

“The deliberations on the special appeal will first be halted while the motion is considered. However, under the current structure, it does not seem likely that a decision people can genuinely accept will be reached.”

See also Supreme Court Justice with Hostile Views

See also Believers’ Last Hope for Fair Trial Crushed

See also Japan’s Treatment of Faith Headed to The Hague?

See also Law Expert: Too Weak Legal Basis for Dissolution

See also Flawed Reasoning of a Politician Backing Torts

See also Beyond Dissolution: A Religious Purge in Japan?

Featured image above: Nozomi Kojima (小嶌希晶 – right), representative of the “Association of Second-Generation Members Protecting Believers’ Human Rights,” and international lawyer Tatsuki Nakayama (中山達樹) at a press conference on the afternoon of 26^th May 2026, in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. Photo: Takahide Ishii (石井孝秀).

Related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Lawfare: State Uses Legal System in War on Faith

More, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Scholar Questions Secrecy in Dissolution Case

And more, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Shocked Author: “Japan Ignores Basics of Justice”

Still more, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Legal Inconsistencies A Blow to Democracy

Even more, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Japan: Court Accused of Using Speculation

Also related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: MEXT’s Legal Spin and “Dissolution at All Costs”

Also related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: UN Report: Japan’s Lawfare Against Faith Minority

And also related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Protesting No Transparency in Closed-Door Trial

More, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Dangerous Flaws in Dissolution Order Decried

Also related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: “Lawyers Lying and Shaming Japan” for 50 Years

And also related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Japan Following the Way of China

And also related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Japan’s Dissolution Case Echoes China’s Playbook

More, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Media/Legal Expert: Communism Behind Persecution

And more, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Militant Lawyers Dictate Government Policy

More, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Collusion to Rob Minority of Its Rights

And more, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: State and Media Creating “Today’s Non-Citizens”

Still more, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Japan Copying China: State Seizure of Churches

And still more, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: 12 Religious Freedom NGOs Denouncing Japan

More, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: 4300 Abductions and Forcible Detentions

And more, related to appointment of hostile Supreme Court Justice: Japan: Families Fear for Graves of Loved Ones

Yet more, related to hostile Supreme Court Justice: Lawyers Manipulating, Coercing, Lying

Also related to hostile Supreme Court Justice: Kishida Follows Anti-Family Federation Minister

Also related to hostile Supreme Court Justice: Militant Lawyers Dictate Government Policy

Still more, related to hostile Supreme Court Justice: Malicious One-Sided Government Source Selection

And still more, related to hostile Supreme Court Justice: Japan Urged to Make U-Turn

And yet more, related to hostile Supreme Court Justice: Dangerous Precedent to Crush Religions

Even more, related to hostile Supreme Court Justice: Japan Following the Way of China

Yet more, related to hostile Supreme Court Justice: Japanese Communists’ Final War

Still more, related to hostile Supreme Court Justice: Political and Social Activism behind Oppression

Still more, related to hostile Supreme Court Justice: Dissolution Case: Rule of Law on Trial 4th March