The “Old Unification Church” and Another Religious Name went Viral by the Shooting of Former Prime Minister Abe

With the election to the upper house of the Diet over, the investigation into the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is in full swing. On July 8, during a visit to Nara City, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot in the back  with a shotgun and was killed by Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed former Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force officer.

The suspect, who was sent to prison on suspicion of murder, told investigators the name of a specific religious group and said, “My mother donated a lot of money to the group.”

His mother gave a large sum of money to the organization and went bankrupt. He stated that he had a grudge against the group that destroyed his family.

He stated that he had a grudge against the group that destroyed his family. The names of two specific religious groups were spread on the Internet. One is the “Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (former Unification Church),” which held a press conference on June 11.

Tomihiro Tanaka, president of the church, said that the suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, is not a member of the church and that there is no record of him ever being a member.

Tetsuya Yamagami’s mother is a member of our association and has attended church events about once a month.

He stated, “Tetsuya Yamakami’s mother is a member of our association. However, as for the amount of the donation,” he said, “I haven’t been able to trace it.”

 

“I have not been able to trace the amount of donations,” he said.

I did not expect the former Unification Church to respond so quickly to the media. Former Prime Minister Abe’s death was such a big event.

Earlier than the former Unification Church, the “Japan Headquarters of the Holy Temple for the Unification of the World Peace (abbreviated name: Japan Sanctuary Association)” released an emergency statement on June 9. On its official website, under the title “Statement Concerning the Shooting Incident of Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,” it said

First of all, I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences on the passing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The statement then went on to express condolences to Mr. Abe. The headquarters then stated that

(1)The Japan Sanctuary Association has no contact or relationship with the suspect Tetsuya Yamagami. The suspect has never attended any of the Association’s meetings in the past.

(2) There are also reports that the suspect’s mother has made donations to religious organizations, but the Japan Sanctuary Association has never received a single yen in donations.

(3) Regarding our association’s relationship with former Prime Minister Abe, it is true that we, as freedom-, justice-, and peace-loving Japanese citizens, have respected former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and supported his many policies and endeavors. However, we have never received a congratulatory telegram from former Prime Minister Abe, nor have we received a visit from him to our rallies.

He wrote, “We have never received a congratulatory telegram from former Prime Minister Abe or attended any of his meetings. In short, the religious group that Yamagami suspects is hostile to is not ours.”

In fact, when we interviewed people involved in the investigation, they denied this from the outset. On the other hand, another concern is that the suspect himself, not his mother, may have joined the Sanctuary Society. According to a reporter for a national newspaper, the suspect was a member of the Sanctuary Association. According to a reporter for a national newspaper

The Sanctuary Society is an offshoot of the Unification Church, which is now moving in a different direction. The association regards the possession of handguns in the U.S. as a serious right and has close ties with the National Rifle Association. There is speculation on the Internet that the fact that Yamagami was equipped with a gun may have been due to the teachings of the association. The speculation that Yamakami was equipped with a gun because of the association’s teachings became widespread on the Internet.

The association responded with a statement. The association responded to this in a statement.

The Association abides by the law under the Constitution of Japan and does not engage in any illegal activities. We demand an apology for any acts with malicious intent to link our sanctuary association with the crime committed by the gunman, Yamagami, and ask for a retraction.

The company denies the allegations in a strong tone of voice.

Two religious organizations unexpectedly came to our attention. The suspect Yamagami, who committed the unprecedented heinous crime of assassinating former Prime Minister Abe, must be brought to justice.