Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 3, Nos. 2 &3, 2004, Page 56
illegally recruited and indoctrinated ex-members with the use of social influences,
psychological pressure, and coercive persuasion.
Opponents of the Unification Church, Jehovah‘s Witnesses, and Aum have begun to consider
that the use of ―mind control‖ techniques is a unique character of ―cults.‖ After the Aum
incidents cult critics extended their influence over the mass media. The critics included not
only ex-members and missionaries, but also professionals, such as clinical psychologists and
psychiatrists. Professionals‘ interpretation of pathological religious conversion in cults has
given authorization for individuals with cult problems to be treated by medical care. For
example, the Ministry of Health and Welfare subsidized research by the Japan De-Cult
(Recovery from Cults) Council, one of the leading anti-cult movements.
As some western scholars argue (Barker, 1984 Bromley and Cutchin, 1999), few
sociologists of religion in Japan, agree about how to explain the conversion of the members
of these controversial new religions. Sociologists believe that the anti-cult movement has
been facilitated not only by self-claimed victims and concerned professionals, but also by a
cultural attitude that opposes religious minorities and multiculturalism. To pursue this
matter further (Shupe and Bromley, 1994 Richardson and Introvigne, 2001 Barker, 2002)
would take us beyond the scope of this paper, so I will now return to the primary subject.
A Look at the Missionary Activities of the Unification Church of Japan
In 1954 Sun Myung Moon founded the Unification Church (the legal name being the Holy
Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity) in Seoul, South Korea. An early
disciple, Masaru Nishikawa, initiated Japanese missionary activities from 1959 to 1965.
During those days he successfully laid the foundation and cadre and acquired the leadership
of the Unification Church of Japan. In 1964 the Unification Church of Japan headed by
Chairman Osami Kuboki was authenticated as a religious corporation.
In 1966 the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) was established and
the Unification Church‘s missionary activities were expanded on campuses. Because the
organization encouraged student members to dropout of school and dedicate themselves to
missionary work, parents criticized it and formed an Anti-CARP Group in 1967, reforming it
into Victim Family Meeting by CARP in 1975.
In the 1970s the Unification Church of Japan extended its activities to politics, academia,
and the economy. The International Federation for Victory over Communism was
established in 1968 to cooperate with Japanese conservative politicians. This group utilized
the manpower of Unification Church members for political and election campaigns, and in
exchange some politicians helped defend the Unification Church against social criticism. The
Professors World Peace Academy, established in 1973, also encouraged the mass media and
academics to endorse the aims and activities of the Unification Church. At that time the
headquarters of the Unification Church and Sun Myung Moon's family moved to the United
States and initiated a propaganda campaign. The cost of these activities was supported by
the Unification Church of Japan, which began business activities, such as the well-known
selling of flowers and miscellaneous goods.
In the 1980s these financing activities expanded into importing Korean goods, such as
Korean ginseng tea, marble urns, and two-storied pagodas. Initially these products were
sold through normal business operations, but their sales were gradually coupled with
fraudulent sales techniques such as telling customers‘ fortunes based on their names and
appeasing the spirits of ancestors. A corporation called the National World Happiness Liaison
Council, which, according to the spokesman of the Unification Church of Japan, was
voluntarily created by Unification Church members, took power among several sections of
the Unification Church in order to send large contributions of money to the United States
and Korea.
illegally recruited and indoctrinated ex-members with the use of social influences,
psychological pressure, and coercive persuasion.
Opponents of the Unification Church, Jehovah‘s Witnesses, and Aum have begun to consider
that the use of ―mind control‖ techniques is a unique character of ―cults.‖ After the Aum
incidents cult critics extended their influence over the mass media. The critics included not
only ex-members and missionaries, but also professionals, such as clinical psychologists and
psychiatrists. Professionals‘ interpretation of pathological religious conversion in cults has
given authorization for individuals with cult problems to be treated by medical care. For
example, the Ministry of Health and Welfare subsidized research by the Japan De-Cult
(Recovery from Cults) Council, one of the leading anti-cult movements.
As some western scholars argue (Barker, 1984 Bromley and Cutchin, 1999), few
sociologists of religion in Japan, agree about how to explain the conversion of the members
of these controversial new religions. Sociologists believe that the anti-cult movement has
been facilitated not only by self-claimed victims and concerned professionals, but also by a
cultural attitude that opposes religious minorities and multiculturalism. To pursue this
matter further (Shupe and Bromley, 1994 Richardson and Introvigne, 2001 Barker, 2002)
would take us beyond the scope of this paper, so I will now return to the primary subject.
A Look at the Missionary Activities of the Unification Church of Japan
In 1954 Sun Myung Moon founded the Unification Church (the legal name being the Holy
Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity) in Seoul, South Korea. An early
disciple, Masaru Nishikawa, initiated Japanese missionary activities from 1959 to 1965.
During those days he successfully laid the foundation and cadre and acquired the leadership
of the Unification Church of Japan. In 1964 the Unification Church of Japan headed by
Chairman Osami Kuboki was authenticated as a religious corporation.
In 1966 the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) was established and
the Unification Church‘s missionary activities were expanded on campuses. Because the
organization encouraged student members to dropout of school and dedicate themselves to
missionary work, parents criticized it and formed an Anti-CARP Group in 1967, reforming it
into Victim Family Meeting by CARP in 1975.
In the 1970s the Unification Church of Japan extended its activities to politics, academia,
and the economy. The International Federation for Victory over Communism was
established in 1968 to cooperate with Japanese conservative politicians. This group utilized
the manpower of Unification Church members for political and election campaigns, and in
exchange some politicians helped defend the Unification Church against social criticism. The
Professors World Peace Academy, established in 1973, also encouraged the mass media and
academics to endorse the aims and activities of the Unification Church. At that time the
headquarters of the Unification Church and Sun Myung Moon's family moved to the United
States and initiated a propaganda campaign. The cost of these activities was supported by
the Unification Church of Japan, which began business activities, such as the well-known
selling of flowers and miscellaneous goods.
In the 1980s these financing activities expanded into importing Korean goods, such as
Korean ginseng tea, marble urns, and two-storied pagodas. Initially these products were
sold through normal business operations, but their sales were gradually coupled with
fraudulent sales techniques such as telling customers‘ fortunes based on their names and
appeasing the spirits of ancestors. A corporation called the National World Happiness Liaison
Council, which, according to the spokesman of the Unification Church of Japan, was
voluntarily created by Unification Church members, took power among several sections of
the Unification Church in order to send large contributions of money to the United States
and Korea.
