One of the attorneys of the Unification Church continues to present his account of the case: under cross-examination, one of the key testimonies the prosecution relied on was revealed as false.
February 12, 2025
Article 2 of 3. Read article 1.
Allegations in W2’s Written Statement
W2 is a woman born in 1955 who, at the time of preparing her written statement in July 2023, was a 68-year-old former member of the UC. The following circumstances were described in W2’s written statement:
The Falsity of Statements in W2’s Written Testimony
The falsity of the statements in W2’s written testimony became evident based on the following facts:
(ⅰ) According to current members, W2 expressed a desire for a Maitreya statue that she saw at a video center in Kumamoto, leading members to procure and present it to her. W2 then made a gratitude donation of 1 million yen. Additionally, no current member had ever heard of W2’s brother committing suicide. A notice sent by the lawyer of the anti-cult National Network of Lawyers against Spiritual Sales to the Family Federation on behalf of her on February 22, 2023, made no mention of the brother’s suicide.
According to church records, the special ancestor liberation ritual for the brother took place in January 2013, long after the presentation of the Maitreya statue. W2’s claim that she became financially distressed and sought a refund of the donation one month after the 1 million yen donation for the Maitreya statute was inconsistent with the fact that she made an additional donation of 360,000 yen in the same year, 2006. Furthermore, if the Maitreya statue was purchased for the brother’s salvation, it was inexplicable why a special ancestor liberation for the brother was conducted immediately afterward.
(ⅱ) W2 stated in her written testimony that she was unable to challenge Mrs. Tokunaga due to the Abel-Cain doctrine and that they made donations after being scolded by Mrs.
Tokunaga. However, according to current members, these claims were entirely baseless. On the contrary, W2 stated in a testimonial video that Mrs. Tokunaga had visited her during her hospitalization and treated her kindly.
(ⅲ) There were multiple photographs of W2 smiling while participating in Family Federation ceremonies (e.g., blessing ceremonies).
(ⅳ) Between 2008 and 2011, W2 left the Family Federation and became a follower of Soka Gakkai. However, shortly after breaking the Maitreya statue in the mountains, W2’s eldest son was involved in a violent incident. This led W2 to repent and return to the Family Federation. A testimonial video from that time remains, in which W2, without mentioning the name “Soka Gakkai,” stated, “As I kept going back and forth over the years, I became ill myself. But now, I am truly grateful to be able to return to the church like this.”
Results of Cross-Examination of W2
Regarding the items “(ⅰ)” to “(ⅳ)” above in section (2), W2 testified as follows during cross-examination:
Regarding “(ⅰ),” when asked what Mrs. Tokunaga, the leader, had said regarding the special liberation for W2’s late brother and two other spirits, W2 was unable to testify anything consistent with the content of her written statement. Moreover, W2 admitted that her written statement contained details she did not personally remember. W2 also effectively admitted that the insurance money for her brother, which was used to purchase the Maitreya statue, amounted to 1 million yen, and that the amount she paid for the Maitreya statue was indeed 1 million yen. Additionally, W2 testified that she was deceived by the Family Federation, claiming, “The idea that donating to the Unification Church accumulates virtue and leads to Heaven was a lie.” When she was asked how she could know it, W2 responded that she didn’t understand such details.
Regarding “(ⅱ),” W2 was asked why Cain was supposed to obey Abel but could not provide an answer. Furthermore, she could not specify where in the Bible the story of Abel and Cain is mentioned, nor could she identify who the father of Abel and Cain was, failing to even answer “Adam.” Ultimately, it became clear that W2’s claim of being unable to challenge Mrs. Tokunaga due to the Abel-Cain doctrine was false.
Regarding “(ⅲ),” W2 was shown photos of her smiling during ceremonies (such as the Blessing ceremonies) and admitted that she was grateful and happy at those times. She also testified that she had held hope in the blessings ceremonies while she was practicing the faith.
Regarding “(ⅳ),” W2 only admitted to having been invited by members of Soka Gakkai religious group but denied having practiced their faith. W2 also denied that her eldest son had committed a violent act. However, W2 admitted to going with a Soka Gakkai religious group member to destroy the Maitreya statue and acknowledged that she returned to the Family Federation shortly after destroying the statue. Destroying statues or altars of other groups is a characteristic practice of Soka Gakkai, making it effectively clear that W2 had practiced Soka Gakkai’s faith.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) has argued that fear prevents people from leaving the Family Federation, so it must be said that MEXT wanted to conceal the fact that W2 had freely chosen to leave it. Furthermore, the fact that the Family Federation—a religious organization subject to a dissolution order—was more spiritually meaningful to W2 than Soka Gakkai, which is not subject to such an order, was likely a fact that MEXT wanted to hide from the court. It is thought that MEXT coached W2 to deny her involvement with Soka Gakkai and her return to the Family Federation.
Source: bitterwinter.org
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