On March 4, 2026, the Tokyo High Court upheld the dissolution order against the Family Federation. There is not a single criminal conviction. Voices questioning a ruling that rested on "speculative potential harm" continue to grow.

Twelve years of documented compliance were dismissed. The constitutional guarantee of a public trial was bypassed. In a closed, non-public procedure โ€” this decision was handed down with multiple serious questions left unanswered.

A Decision No One Could Afford to Dismiss โ€” The Testimony of Fukuda Masumi

Nonfiction writer Fukuda Masumi (@FukudaMasumi) had been sounding the alarm from early on.

"I had reviewed numerous court records from high-donation lawsuits against the church and noticed that many unjust rulings were finding against the church on unreasonable grounds. My fears turned out to be justified."

The court stated that "latent harm almost certainly exists to a considerable degree." Is this not speculation?

"The court acknowledged that harm had visibly decreased after the compliance declaration โ€” and then turned around and insisted that latent harm must still exist. This acrobatic leap of logic left me speechless. It is nothing more than manufactured grievance, a pretext." (Fukuda Masumi)

A Constitutional Scholar's Warning โ€” The Procedure Itself Is Unconstitutional

Professor Emeritus Seiichiro Sugihara of Musashino Women's University identified the unconstitutionality of the procedure itself as the central problem (Sekai Nippo, March 5).

"The most serious issue is that the church was denied the right to a public trial guaranteed under Articles 32 and 82 of the Constitution, and was instead processed through a closed, non-contentious procedure. A dissolution order โ€” the equivalent of a death sentence for a legal entity โ€” was carried out without a public trial. This is a clear constitutional violation."

The Religious Corporations Act permits non-contentious procedure only when three conditions are simultaneously met:

โ‘  a final criminal conviction,

โ‘ก repeated recognition of illegal acts,

โ‘ข failure to comply with administrative guidance.

None of these conditions were met in this case.

Sugihara went further:

"Donations made in sincere religious conviction cannot in principle be treated as harm. If this standard is applied exclusively to the Family Federation and not to other religious organizations, that constitutes a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution โ€” equality before the law."

Sugihara called this trial "darkness at noon."

"This is arbitrary, discretionary judicial action โ€” a fundamental betrayal of the rule of law."

The Ministry Could Not Produce Evidence

"The High Court judge demanded that the Ministry of Education provide specific evidence in accordance with the principle of evidence-based adjudication. The Ministry produced nothing new. I held onto a thread of hope โ€” but the High Court followed the lower court's lead regardless." (Fukuda Masumi)

A ministry that could not produce evidence still prevailed.

That is what this trial was.

The submitted affidavits carry allegations of fabrication. A former believer who said, "This is not what I wrote." A 91-year-old woman pressured to sign without having the document read to her.

In September 2025, six Ministry of Education officials were reported to prosecutors on suspicion of forging official documents.

Other Serious Problems

  • Civil lawsuits were reclassified as "violations of law."

    • Aum Shinrikyo released sarin gas and killed people.

    That was the basis for its dissolution.

    The basis here is civil litigation.

    And the Family Federation's civil losses were not for "violation of law" but for "deviation from social norms."

    Treating these two as equivalent is an unprecedented interpretive leap with no legal precedent.

    Fukuda analyzed the structural logic: The Ministry lacked evidence from after the compliance declaration and fabricated or altered affidavits. When those fell apart in court, the court retreated to "speculative harm" as a fallback.

    "Even settlements and out-of-court agreements were classified as illegal acts. This is unmistakably a state-directed trial." (Fukuda Masumi)

    2. Twelve years of documented improvement were ignored.

    According to the church's own data:

  • Civil cases before the declaration: 165 โ†’ after: 4 โ†’ in the last 7.5 years: zero
  • Settlement amounts: reduced to less than one-hundredth of pre-declaration levels
  • An independent external attorney compensation committee was established to continue victim relief

    • The court dismissed this data entirely, ruling that the improvements were superficial measures to avoid dissolution, with "no fundamental reform."

    The court also raised the possibility that "illegal acts could resume if external pressure weakens."

    Show improvement, and you are told it may only be temporary.

    No matter what evidence is presented, dissolution cannot be escaped. This is a closed logical trap.

    Warnings from International Academia โ€” Dr. Introvigne's Analysis

    Massimo Introvigne (@Introvigne), editor of Bitter Winter, stated on March 4:

    "This verdict is an act driven by public emotion following the Abe assassination, without legal foundation. It relies on 'brainwashing' theory โ€” something most scholars of religion regard as pseudoscience. A decision as grave as liquidating an entire church must not be based on speculation."

    The High Court noted that "the church's theology encourages large donations." Secular judges condemning the doctrinal content of a religious organization โ€” this is direct interference with freedom of religion. Introvigne calls this the logic of a witch trial: "Once a witch, always a witch."

    The United Nations and the United States Have Warned of This

    Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich): "A government that can cut off access to God can cut off access to anything."

    Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) warned that Japan has "ventured into territory that benefits the enemies of free society."

    Former Ambassador for Religious Freedom Sam Brownback (@SamuelBrownback) stated: "Dissolving a faith community not convicted of any crime โ€” it is unbelievable for a democratic nation."

    This Precedent Can Be Used Against Anyone

    Because the trial was conducted in secrecy, no one outside the courtroom knows what evidence the judge reviewed, what testimony was heard, or how determinations were made.

    The ruling is deeply unjust, and grave questions remain unanswered.

    And now it stands as precedent.

    The Minister of Education has already declared: "Based on this precedent, if similar conduct is identified in any religious corporation nationwide, we will respond with the full force of the law."

    Speculation became law.

    Despite the silence, thousands of questions remain unanswered. Sources

    1. Fukuda Masumi Interview Sekai Nippo โ€” An Unjust State-Directed Trial: Protecting the Human Rights of Believers โ€” Nonfiction Writer Fukuda Masumi https://www.worldtimes.co.jp/society/20260305-206671/

    2. Seiichiro Sugihara Interview Sekai Nippo โ€” The Right to a Public Trial Ignored: Unconstitutional Procedure โ€” Former Musashino Women's University Professor Seiichiro Sugihara (Expert Commentary on High Court Ruling)

    https://www.worldtimes.co.jp/society/20260305-206694/

    3. MEXT Evidence & High Court Ruling Sekai Nippo โ€” Tokyo High Court Upholds Dissolution Order; Family Federation Calls It "Unjust" https://www.worldtimes.co.jp/society/20260305-206653/

    Nikkei โ€” Tokyo High Court Orders Dissolution of Former Unification Church; Liquidation Begins โ€” First Ruling Based on Civil Code Violations https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUD222XH0S5A920C2000000/

    4. Compliance Data (Church's Own Claims) Tokyo Shimbun โ€” Family Federation President Apologizes to Former Members, But Says "The Church Was Dragged In" โ€” 4.4 Billion Yen Returned After Abe Assassination https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/288553/3

    5. Dr. Introvigne / International Academic Warning Bitter Winter โ€” The Unification Church Verdict: The New Martyrs of Japan โ€” Massimo Introvigne, March 4, 2026 https://bitterwinter.org/the-unification-church-verdict-the-new-martyrs-of-japan/

    Bitter Winter โ€” Judicial Neutrality Optional: An Unfair Japanese Decision Targets the Unification Church โ€” Again https://bitterwinter.org/judicial-neutrality-optional-an-unfair-japanese-decision-targets-the-unification-church-again/

    Bitter Winter โ€” Japan: The Dissolution of the Unification Church and International Law. 1. A Warning by the United Nations https://bitterwinter.org/japan-the-dissolution-of-the-unification-church-and-international-law-1-a-warning-by-the-united-nations/

    6. U.S. Voices / International Warnings The Washington Times โ€” Japan Court Rebuffs Appeal, Orders Dissolution of Former Unification Church (includes Gingrich & Brownback statements) https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/3/japan-court-rebuffs-appeal-orders-dissolution-former-unification/

    The Washington Times โ€” 'Dangerous Precedent' for Religious Freedom: Critics Assail Tokyo Court's Ruling (includes Pompeo statement) https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/4/dangerous-precedent-religious-freedom-critics-assail-tokyo-courts/

    The Washington Times โ€” Shock, Dismay, as Family Federation Churches Seized by Liquidators Across Japan https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/5/shock-dismay-family-federation-churches-seized-liquidators-across/

    7. Editorial BackgroundSekai Nippo โ€” Family Federation Appeal: Correct the District Court's Unreasonable Ruling (editorial) https://www.worldtimes.co.jp/opinion/editorial/20260302-206512/

    Sekai Nippo โ€” Family Federation Dissolution Order: A Crisis for Religious Freedom and the Rule of Law (editorial) https://www.worldtimes.co.jp/opinion/editorial/20260305-206657/