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 C...