On Wednesday, the Tokyo High Court denied the church's appeal and rejected its argument that the donations were part of legitimate religious activities. This decision upholds a district court order from last year that was issued after Japan's education and culture ministry accused the church of manipulating followers into making huge donations. The exact details of the church's argument that donations were part of legitimate religious activities have not been disclosed.
The dissolution order from the Tokyo district court was meant to strip the church of its tax-exempt status and require it to liquidate its assets, but still allow it to operate in Japan. Now that the church has lost its first appeal against the ruling, the dissolution order would take effect immediately, according to local media reports. The church can still bring the case to the Supreme Court.
The Unification Church is the first religious organisation in Japan to be given a dissolution order. The church, popularly known as the 'Moonies', came under scrutiny after the shock assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. The man who shot Abe, Tetsuya Yamagami, said he had held a grudge against the prime minister because of his ties with the Unification Church, which had bankrupted his family.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, was sentenced to life in prison in January. Yamagami has appealed the sentence. Even before Abe's assassination, the Unification Church had drawn controversy with its teachings.
At its centre is the church's late founder Sun Myung Moon, who was revered among followers as a messiah. The current status of the church's assets and tax-exempt status following the dissolution order is unclear.