Sanctuary Supporters Back Takichi for PM, Stir Controversy

Calls for Abolishing Ishiba Emerge

On November 11, a special Diet session was convened, and a Prime Ministerial election was held in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. In the first round of voting, no candidate secured a majority, and Shigeru Ishiba (67) of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was narrowly elected as the 103rd Prime Minister in a runoff with Yoshihiko Noda (67), leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party.

The main reason for the tight race was the outcome of the previous general election. The LDP and Komeito combined won 215 seats, falling short of their target of 233 seats, the first time in 15 years that the LDP had failed to secure a majority.

Notable losses included key figures like Justice Minister Hideki Makihara (53) and Agriculture Minister Yasuhiro Ozato (66), as well as former Defense Minister Seishiro Eto (83), who had supported Ishiba during the LDP leadership race. These defeats dealt a significant blow to Ishiba’s chances as Prime Minister.

It is believed that conservative voters who defected from the LDP voted for the Democratic Party for the People and the Japan Conservative Party, the latter of which won its first-ever seats in the Diet.

While Ishiba’s supporters in the LDP faced setbacks, the DPFP and Japan Conservative Party gained seats, a shift that aligns with the campaign efforts of certain groups. One of these groups is the Sanctuary Church, a faction of the former Unification Church.

The Sanctuary Church, headquartered in the United States, is led by Moon Myung Jin, a strong supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump (78). The church’s followers have participated in pro-Trump demonstrations in both Japan and the U.S. and have supported conservative politicians such as Sanae Takaichi (63) and the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, advocating traditional family values, opposition to same-sex marriage, and opposition to civil partnership legislation.

Some members of the Sanctuary Church saw the election as a chance to reinvigorate Takaichi, who had lost in the LDP leadership race. These followers circulated a mysterious document online, titled “Members of the Diet who voted for Shigeru Ishiba in the 2024 runoff” and “Members of the Diet who voted for Sanae Takaichi in the 2024 runoff,” calling for the removal of Ishiba from office.

Below is an excerpt from the document.

October 10, 2024
Japan-US-Korea Consultative Council Policy Proposal Review Team

Notice

In the upcoming general election on October 27, we propose a “NO” to the Ishiba administration and aim for the early establishment of the Takaichi administration. We hope that the voting policy, based on the freedom and responsibility of each member, as well as outreach to friends and acquaintances, will serve as a reference.

Voting Policy

• In constituencies where candidates supported Shigeru Ishiba in the runoff vote, vote for candidates from the “Sanseito” (Sansei Party), the Democratic Party for the People, or the Japan Conservative Party, etc.

• Vote for candidates who supported Sanae Takaichi in the runoff vote.

• In proportional representation, vote for the Liberal Democratic Party, or the “Sanseito”, the Democratic Party for the People, or the Japan Conservative Party, etc.

• In constituencies where there are no suitable candidates, vote for the candidate who seems closest to our values.

The strange documents titled “Members of the National Diet who voted for Shigeru Ishiba in the 2024 runoff” and “Members of the National Diet who voted for Sanae Takaichi in the 2024 runoff,” which were uploaded along with the text, were spread across several social media platforms by individuals believed to be supporters of the Sanctuary Church, as well as supporters of Sanae Takaichi and the Japan Conservative Party.

Takaichi Sanae’s office expresses concern about the possibility of being targeted for assassination.

When asked about these recommendations and the list of lawmakers, the Japan Sanctuary Association responded, stating that they were not the official stance of the association but rather recommendations made by volunteers, and provided the following explanation:

“The recommendations you inquired about are not the official stance of the Japan Sanctuary Association nor the Japan-US-Korea Conference. They were suggestions made by volunteers to members who were struggling with what voting actions to take for the upcoming election. The ‘list of lawmakers’ documents were obtained by volunteers from conservative influencers.”

Takaichi Sanae’s office is also aware of the “Stonewalling Ishiba” movement and expressed great confusion.

“During the House of Representatives election, we received contact from about three Self-Defense Party candidate camps, and learned about movements such as the campaign for the defeat of the members who voted for Ishiba and the labeling of factions like ‘Takaichi faction’ and ‘Ishiba faction.’

Since the information came from Self-Defense Party candidates, we are unsure if it matches the ‘proposal’ you inquired about, or if it is related to Sanctuary. We are not familiar with the Sanctuary organization and have no connection with them. Regarding this matter, Takaichi expressed her thoughts on X.” (Takaichi Saori’s office)

Takaichi wrote the following on X:

“I’ve been continuing my nationwide tour without much time to check news and internet information, but yesterday, I heard a troubling story. Several self-governed candidates who supported other candidates in the LDP presidential election last month were told by some people that they would not vote. The campaign teams of these candidates were quite distressed and contacted my secretary.

The current election we are fighting is an election that will decide the government. All LDP candidates, including myself, are accepting various criticisms of the party and are working hard to win as many seats as possible, so that we can continue to lead Japan.

If we lose seats and become the opposition party, it will be difficult to implement the policies I’ve been advocating through legislative action. That’s why, yesterday and today, I’ve been supporting candidates from other camps in the party’s presidential election, and I sincerely hope you will support them as well. Please, I kindly ask for your support.”

Takaichi, who has been supported by some members of the former Unification Church on social media, has become a target for security protection. Her office argued, “There is a possibility of attracting unwarranted resentment from online postings, and the possibility of being targeted for harm cannot be ruled out.” It is unusual for a lawmaker without a key position in the party to be under police protection.

Announcement of military training on the official website.

I asked journalist Suzuki Eito, who has been covering the Unification Church for 30 years, for his opinion on the Sanctuary Church’s support for Takaichi and anti-Ishiba movement.

“The Sanctuary Church (Japan Sanctuary Association) is engaged in pro-Trump, fervently Republican activities in the United States, and it seems to be attempting to infiltrate conservative circles in Japan as well. The Sanctuary Church is a faction that split off from the Unification Church, but the current Unification Church (World Peace Unification Family Association), led by Han Hak-ja, also views both the Japanese Prime Ministerial election and the U.S. Presidential election as turning points for the organization.

Ideologically, it is only natural for the Sanctuary Church to support the conservative Sanae Takaichi. The Japan-US-Korea Council is a political group led by Sanctuary Association Chairman Yasue Erikawa. They have held pro-Trump demonstrations across Japan, often in collaboration with groups associated with the Sanctuary Church. This is part of what is known as the so-called ‘J-Anon’ movement.” 

Does this mean there is a possibility that the Sanctuary Church could incite riots or terrorism?

“Sanctuary has a strong element of gun worship, and there are concerns that it could escalate into militarization or terrorism, as military training announcements have been posted on their official website.

During the previous U.S. presidential election, when the QAnon group attacked the Capitol, the leader of the Sanctuary Church, Hak Jin Moon, did not participate in the attack itself, but he attended a rally in front of the Capitol building, and posted about it on Instagram.”

I sincerely hope that terrorism, which seeks to impose ideology through violence, does not occur.