According to a report on the Japan Times website (Japantimes.co.jp) on September 12, Toshiaki Natoto, the General Affairs Council of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, suggested at a meeting recently that discussions should be held on legislation aimed at restricting cult activities.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party General Affairs Council Toshiaki Natoto (center) speaks at a meeting at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo in August, attended by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (first from left). Source: Kyodo News
Toshiaki Endo, the general affairs committee of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, suggested in a recent interview that there should be discussions on legislation aimed at curbing cult activities.
The Liberal Democrats are seeking to end the party’s ties to the controversial Unification Church.
Asked in an interview whether to make legislation similar to France, Endo said: “It’s hard to define what a cult is.”
Endo also said: “This issue (legislation restricting cult activities) will be considered in the future.”
At the same time, because the Japanese religious system adopts a different form from that of countries such as Europe and the United States, Endo questioned whether cults could be distinguished from other (religious) groups in Japan. However, he stressed: “It is better to have a (legislative) discussion first.”
As for whether the Liberal Democratic Party can sever ties with the Unification Church, Endo said: “Now is the best time to completely break with the sect that engages in questionable practices such as malicious marketing.”
Endo also said he believed there had been a turnaround in the handling of the Unification Church issue since the LDP recently released the results of its investigation into links between party members and the Unification Church.
Endo believes that the former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is dead, and it is impossible to investigate his connection with the “Unification Church”. It is enough if the whole party can cut off the relationship with the “Unification Church” in the future.
In July, Abe was shot dead. The suspect reportedly hated the Unification Church and believed there was a relationship between former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Unification Church.
