TOKYO - A Japanese high court on Wednesday upheld a dissolution order for the Unification Church as requested by the central government on the grounds that it unlawfully solicited financially ruinous donations from its members.
While the group can still appeal to the Supreme Court, the order by the Tokyo High Court will take immediate effect, with the controversial organization losing its status as a religious corporation with its associated tax advantages and liquidation procedures to begin.
Under Japan's legal system, authorities can ask courts to order a dissolution if a religious corporation "commits an act that is clearly found to harm public welfare substantially."
The government argued that the organization's tactics, which included approaching individuals without disclosing its identity and soliciting large donations, constituted violations of civil law.
It filed a dissolution request in October 2023 on the grounds that these practices continued nationwide over a long period, resulting in numerous victims.
The Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, denied organizational involvement in improper solicitations, stating that harm caused by donations has decreased since 2009, when it declared stricter compliance measures.
The group argued that only criminal violations, not those under the Civil Code, meet the requirements for dissolution.
The Tokyo District Court said in March 2025 that it was unable to overlook the significant damage wrought by the church and the likelihood it would continue to harm people in the future. It ruled that there was no alternative to a dissolution order, calling it an "inevitable legal action."
The church has come under heavy scrutiny since the fatal shooting in 2022 of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by a man who admitted to holding a grudge against the group due to financially ruinous donations made by his mother.
The incident was followed by a series of revelations of ties between some lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church.
A law was enacted in December 2022 to regulate manipulative fundraising tactics by organizations after the suffering of children of Unification Church members came to light.
