4 Kyoto-based religious bodies protest against Obama

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Unification Church increasing access to Democratic Party

Japan’s Unification Church, notorious for its illegal sales of exorbitantly costly pots and seals, has been increasing its access to the Democratic Party in addition to the Liberal Democratic Party, a former ruling party.

Before the August 2009 general election, two activists for DPJ candidate Hagihara Hitoshi, who was elected, were arrested by police on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Law by delivering cash to campaign workers.

The court sentenced these two men, one in Osaka Prefecture and the other in Nara Prefecture, to 18 months in prison with five years suspension of sentence and penal charge, respectively. Both of them are associated with the Unification Church and took part in group weddings.

Also, Muroi Kunihiko, another DPJ member of the House of Councilors, published election campaign leaflets in the 2007 election, carrying a photo of himself and the leader of the Japan Unification Church, who is a Korean.

A local assembly member directly linked to a DPJ member of the House of Representatives in the South Kanto area had been a representative executive of a shop dealing the Ammo.

In July 2009, the Japan Unification Church (JUC) elected Kajikuri Gentaro, former director general of the International Federation for Victory over Communism (IFVC), who has a strong influence in political circles.

In the election campaign to toughen its ties with political circles, the Moonies sends supporters and secretaries to various camps, sometimes in the name of the IFVC or the Federation for Peace.

Elected members in the Diet or local assemblies provide accommodations for the JUC and sometimes take part in training in South Korea.

Presided by Sun Myung Moon, the Unification Church or the “Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity” was founded in 1954 in South Korea and established its branch in Japan in 1959. The JUC reportedly has about 300 front organizations across the nation, including the IFVC and a Tokyo-based organization claiming to be volunteers for social welfare.

- Akahata, January 5, 2010