Tokyo High Court dissolves Unification Church over illegal donations
Published: 05 Mar. 2026, 18:19
![A man walks past the Japan headquarters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, in Tokyo. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/05/c09fdaae-f74f-4bd9-8119-7b7ba7755bfd.jpg)
A man walks past the Japan headquarters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, in Tokyo. [YONHAP]
Liquidation procedures have begun for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification — formerly known as the Unification Church — in Japan after a court ordered the religious group dissolved over its solicitation of high-value donations.
The Tokyo High Court ordered the church’s dissolution on Wednesday, upholding a ruling by the Tokyo District Court in March last year that granted the government’s request to dissolve the church, NHK and Jiji Press reported.
The Tokyo High Court held the first trial on Wednesday, placing the church into liquidation. A court-appointed liquidator will investigate and manage the church’s assets and begin compensating victims.
“Soliciting donations that constitute illegal acts caused extremely large financial losses and psychological suffering for many people,” the court stated. The court added that the high-value donation solicitations constituted acts that “clearly violate laws and significantly harm public welfare.” The ruling also cited the church’s reluctance to voluntarily implement effective measures to compensate victims who suffered damages related to the donations.
The ruling strips the church of its legal status as a religious corporation in Japan, meaning it will no longer receive tax benefits.
The Japanese branch of the church held assets totaling 118.1 billion yen ($754 million) as of 2022. More than 1,500 people suffered financial losses from the church’s donation solicitations, with total losses reaching 20.4 billion yen, according to the Tokyo District Court, which announced its dissolution order in March last year.
![Tomihiro Tanaka, president of the Japanese branch of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on July 11, 2022. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/05/3f9bb5ce-d45b-4e46-8b0d-24f83318c253.jpg)
Tomihiro Tanaka, president of the Japanese branch of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, speaks at a press conference in Tokyo on July 11, 2022. [YONHAP]
However, the ruling does not prohibit the church’s religious activities. The church may continue operating as an unincorporated religious group and carry on its religious practices.
“The church may file an appeal with the Supreme Court, which corresponds to Korea’s Supreme Court, but liquidation procedures will continue unless the decision is overturned,” NHK reported.
“We will review the contents as soon as possible and file a special appeal,” a lawyer representing the church stated.
Japanese government officials welcomed the decision.
“The government’s claims have been recognized,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stated in a briefing. “Relevant ministries have been instructed to implement measures needed to support victims.”
“Our claims that many people suffered financial and psychological damage due to illegal donation solicitations have been acknowledged,” Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Yohei Matsumoto stated, adding that he expects the liquidation process to proceed smoothly and lead to compensation for victims.
![Couples raise their hands during a large-scale international mass wedding ceremony hosted by the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, at Cheongshim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi, on Apr. 12, 2025. [FAMILY FEDERATION FOR WORLD PEACE AND UNIFICATION]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/05/cd27561b-7134-4ddb-a794-2e17964dfc12.jpg)
Couples raise their hands during a large-scale international mass wedding ceremony hosted by the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, at Cheongshim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi, on Apr. 12, 2025. [FAMILY FEDERATION FOR WORLD PEACE AND UNIFICATION]
This marks the third time a dissolution order has been issued against a religious organization in Japan. Aum Shinrikyo was dissolved in 1996 after carrying out the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack, and the Myokakuji temple group was dissolved in 2002 over a fraud case. The church is the first religious organization in Japan to face dissolution over illegal acts under civil law related to high-value donation solicitations.
Japan’s government began seeking the dissolution of the Unification Church after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot while campaigning in July 2022. The suspect said his mother’s large donations to the church had financially devastated his family, prompting the Education Ministry to investigate the group.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM HYUN-YE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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