Former Environment Minister Admits Lobbying for Unification Church Name Change, Sparks Outrage

Former Minister of the Environment, Yoshiaki Harada, has admitted to having lobbied the government on behalf of the Unification Church (officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) to change its name. His statement, "They were extremely helpful during elections. It's natural for a politician to respond to a request," has caused a significant public uproar.

According to an Asahi Shimbun report, Harada testified that when the Unification Church applied for a name change, he demanded that a senior official of the Agency for Cultural Affairs approve the alteration. As his reasoning, he explained that the organization had provided "immense support" during his election campaigns, including making phone calls and distributing flyers. He elaborated, "I wanted to do something for them. If I receive a request from an organization that has helped me, it's only natural for a politician to fulfill it."

The context

The Unification Church, founded in South Korea by Sun Myung Moon, has a controversial history in Japan, particularly known for its alleged involvement in "spiritual sales" (霊感商法, reikan shōhō). This practice involves pressuring individuals to purchase exorbitantly priced items or make large donations to resolve spiritual problems, often targeting vulnerable individuals. Critics have long argued that the organization's name change from "Unification Church" (統一教会) to "Family Federation for World Peace and Unification" (世界平和統一家庭連合) was a deliberate attempt to obscure its past and avoid association with these long-standing scandals. The change, approved in August 2015 under the second Shinzo Abe administration, initially faced rejection from the Agency for Cultural Affairs but was ultimately granted. Many observers believe this name change indeed succeeded in diluting public vigilance against the group, which subsequently contributed to an increase in victims. The issue of the Unification Church's ties to Japanese politicians, especially within the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), gained intense public scrutiny following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022. The alleged assassin cited a grudge against the Unification Church and its perceived connections to Abe, leading to widespread calls for transparency regarding politicians' affiliations with the group and a reevaluation of political ethics.

Harada's recent statement has been met with a torrent of criticism across social media. Angry comments include "This is outrageous," "What a scumbag," and "Is he saying it's 'natural' for victims to emerge too?" There were also calls to "vote out any politician who repays 'favors' by harming others." Furthermore, given that Harada is a qualified lawyer, voices questioning his ethical standards have emerged, with comments like "Is this what legal professionals are like?" and "Why is he acting so defiant?" This testimony has once again cast a harsh public spotlight on the deep-seated relationship between the Unification Church and politicians, predominantly from the Liberal Democratic Party, and has reignited debates about the state of political ethics in Japan.