This picture taken on July 26, 2022, shows a woman walking past a branch facility of the Unification Church, known officially as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, in Seoul. 鈥� The assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe by a man resentful of the Unification Church has resurfaced years of controversy over the group. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
TOKYO 鈥� The assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe by a man resentful of the Unification Church has resurfaced years of controversy over the group.
Police say Tetsuya Yamagami targeted Abe because he believed the former prime minister supported a 鈥渃ertain group鈥� to which the man鈥檚 mother had made large donations.
In a letter published by local media, Yamagami accused Abe of supporting the Unification Church and expressed resentment towards the group, which has confirmed his mother鈥檚 membership.
READ: Unification Church confirms mother of Abe鈥檚 suspected killer is member
Former followers, lawyers, and academics who study the church say reported details on Yamagami鈥檚 family fit a common pattern in Japan.
Yamagami鈥檚 mother reportedly joined the church after her husband died by suicide, and was quickly consumed by her faith.
Yamagami鈥檚 uncle told local media his nephew sometimes called him for help when his mother left her children alone and without food while attending church.
She donated 100 million yen (then around $1 million) to the church, he said, and later declared bankruptcy.
That all sounds familiar to attorney Hiroshi Yamaguchi, who represents former church members.
鈥淢embers are under pressure every day to make donations,鈥� he told AFP.
鈥淭hey tell you karma is attached to money and (donations) are the only way to save yourself. So you think you have to do it.鈥�
Known officially as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), the church was founded by Sun Myung Moon in Korea in 1954 and its followers are colloquially known as 鈥淢oonies.鈥�
The Japan chapter began in 1959, and membership took off during the country鈥檚 1980s economic boom 鈥� 鈥渁n era in which people were unsure how to live their lives,鈥� said Kimiaki Nishida, professor of social psychology at Tokyo鈥檚 Rissho University.
鈥楧istorted my entire life鈥�
Japan became a financial hub for the church, which taught Japanese believers they needed to atone for their country鈥檚 wartime occupation of Korea.
鈥淭hey allocate different roles to each country intentionally,鈥� said Hotaka Tsukada, an associate professor of the sociology of religion at Joetsu University of Education.
鈥淭hey have (sales) manuals to exploit believers,鈥� he told AFP.
The church offered 鈥渟piritual sales鈥� of exorbitantly priced goods including a 43-million-yen ($350,000) statuette, which Japanese believers were told would absolve them or their ancestors.
Huge outlays by members led to a backlash.
Japan鈥檚 National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales says it has filed suits seeking 123.7 billion yen ($900 million) in damages for former followers since 1987.
A series of arrests in the 2000s and verdicts against the church prompted limits on 鈥渟piritual sales鈥� but lawyer Yamaguchi says believers are still pressed to meet monthly donation targets.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a goal God decides,鈥� he says the church tells members. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a quota they need to meet.鈥�
The church denies members are pressured.
鈥淥ur view is that all donations before Heaven must be freely given,鈥� FFWPU press contact Demian Dunkley told AFP.
鈥淔FWPU sometimes makes appeals for donations, but FFWPU members choose whether, when, and how much they will give.鈥�
In 2005, Yamagami reportedly attempted suicide after his mother鈥檚 bankruptcy, hoping his siblings would receive an insurance payout.
His older brother, a childhood cancer survivor, died by suicide a decade later.
In a letter to an anti-church blogger sent the day before Abe鈥檚 murder, Yamagami said his teen years were marred by his mother鈥檚 鈥渙verspending, family disruption, and bankruptcy.鈥�
鈥淭he experience has distorted my entire life,鈥� the letter published by local media said.
鈥極ne family under God鈥�
Former church members have recounted similar family ruptures, including a Japanese woman whose mother told her to stay with an abusive husband chosen by the church because a divorce would 鈥減lease Satan.鈥�
鈥淚 can鈥檛 defend what (Yamagami) did,鈥� she told a press conference this month, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
鈥淏ut鈥� that鈥檚 how badly the church destroys lives.鈥�
READ: Shinzo Abe murder suspect: What we know
Yamagami鈥檚 letter accused Abe of being 鈥渙ne of the most influential supporters of the Unification Church,鈥� based partly on a 2021 speech the politician gave to a church-linked group.
The church and affiliated groups have regularly enlisted prominent figures, including former US president Donald Trump, for events.
Dunkley said the church 鈥渟eeks to build relationships with anyone interested in peace.鈥�
He said its 鈥渕ission is to help bring about a peaceful, harmonious world of true love in which humanity lives as 鈥榦ne family under God鈥�.鈥�
But the former church member said followers were shown pictures of Moon with prominent figures to encourage reverence.
鈥淚t made me feel they have connections with politicians and Moon was a true Messiah,鈥� she said.
The assassination has forced a re-examination of the church鈥檚 ties with politicians in Japan, including Abe鈥檚 grandfather: former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi.
Abe鈥檚 brother, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, acknowledged this week that church members had served as campaign volunteers, something Dunkley said followers only do 鈥渁s private citizens鈥�.
Opposition parties have now announced several task forces to scrutinize the church鈥檚 activities and links with politicians.
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