What Do the Followers of the Church Really Believe?

The Japanese government has launched an inquiry into the power and influence of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, also known as the Unification Church, or the Moonies. Critics have called this group a cult. This comes after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July. The murder suspect says that he targetted the politician for his connection to the Unification Church, which he alleges is responsible for draining his family’s life savings. What’s been revealed in the killing’s wake are deep, historic ties between Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church. Ex-believers have also started speaking out about the group’s alleged predatory fundraising practices. This week on Nothing is Foreign, we dig into how some of Japan’s most powerful politicians became close with the religious group better known for mass marriage ceremonies — and the costs of this association. Featuring: Koichi Nakano, political scientist with Sophia University in Tokyo