Goto's statement to Tokyo District Court - Part 3

In Part 3, Mr. Toru Goto is taken to an apartment in Tokyo under scrutiny immediately after his father's death (June 1997). After confined in the apartment for 6 months, he is taken to another apartment in Tokyo in Dec.1997.

I post the English translataion of (2)&(3) in Second Confinement, which are hilighted blue in the index below.

Index of the Toru Goto's statement submitted to Tokyo District Court

1.   Personal History
2.  Joining Unification Church (1986)
3.  First Confinement (Oct 1987 - Nov 1987)
4.  After Escape from First Confinement
5.  Second Confinement(1) Confinement in Niigata (Sep 1995)
   (2) Transferred to First Apartment in Tokyo (1997)
   (3) Transferred to Second Apartment in Tokyo (Dec 1997)
   (4) Miyamura's deprogramming work
   (5) First Hunger Strike – 21 days
   (6) Second Hunger Strike – 21 days
   (7) Third Hunger Strike – 30 days
   (8) Release from Prison
6. After Hospitalization
7. At the End

------------------------------

5.   Second Confinement

(2) Transferred to First Apartment in Tokyo (Jun 1997)

Soon after my father's death, I was taken to my parents' house in a van under scrutiny.  The reason was to bid farewell to my father.  I left my wallet, driver’s license, cash etc in the apartment in Niigata as I thought I would be brought back there.  My sister and brother's wife guided me to the front door of the apartment.  A few men were waiting outside of the front door, and everyone got in an elevator together, and we arrived at the ground floor.  I was taken to a van surrounded by people.  I noticed later that 2 men among those waiting in front of the front door were my brothers’ sisters’ elder brothers. 

A man who had visited the apartment for de-conversion purposes drove the van, and my brother's wife sat next to the driver.  In the middle row, my brother's sister's elder brothers sat in the middle and on the right hand side, and a former-UC member (female) sat on the left.  In the far back row, my sister sat on the right, and a former UC member (male) sat on the left, and I was made to sit in the middle, so this made me unable to escape.

I struggled to keep in calm in mixed feelings, which came from the shock and sadness after I lost my father, from the nervousness that my pretension of leaving church may be discovered, and from the anger and indignation towards my family who did not release me from confinement and scrutiny.  As mentioned before, I had to behave well, so my pretension would not be discovered.  I had to continue waiting until the moment to escape without fail would come.

When I arrived at the parents’ house in Nishi-Tokyo City where my fathers’ body was placed, my mother and brother had already been there.  I saw my father's body lying down.  I didn't get along with my father, but I respected him as I saw him working passionately as a company manager.  Though he was a Buddhist and differed from me in faith and value, I wished we could understand each other.  I was extremely sad to farewell my father in this way.  While I was next to my father's body, I was completely surrounded by my relatives and former UC members who came all the way from Niigata in the van.  Those UC members hardly knew my father though. 

 
After the farewell, I was surrounded by family and former UC members and taken to the van again.  My brother said to me, "We are not going back to Niigata anymore."  I was taken to an apartment called “Ogikubo Place” in Suginami-Ku in Tokyo, and confined in the room 605. (Police told me the details of the apartment after their investigation.)  (Chart 3)

My brother went to work during the day, but my mother, sister and brother's wife were always monitoring me.  I couldn't see the front door directly because there was a curtain before the front door.  It was still my pretension period, so I couldn't take careless action such as checking the front door by opening the curtain.

Nevertheless I had a chance to look at the front door at one time.  I clearly saw a lock with numbers around the doorknob.  As I was looking for a chance to escape from the apartment, I shouted in my mind, "I'm not free yet." and I was prostrated with anger and despair. 

The room was also on level 6 and was too high to escape from the window.  My wallet, driver's license and cash, which I left in Niigata, were not returned to me.

As the confinement continued, my brother became impatient.  One day when I just walked towards the front door, my brother yelled at me, "Go away.  Unpleasant." and he didn’t allow me to approach the front door.  I felt unspeakable fear in my brother's words and actions.

(3) Transferred to Second Apartment in Tokyo (Dec 1997)

Around at the end of Dec. 1997, my mother, brother, brother's wife and some men took me to another apartment called "Ogikubo Flower Home" in a van again under scrutiny.  I was confined in the room 804 of the apartment (Chart 4).  I was taken to a room facing verandah in the far back of the apartment, and I was told to stay there (M in the Chart 4).   Soon after the arrival to the new apartment, I walked to the position where I could see the front door in order to check if it was possible to go out of the front door.  I clearly saw the front door had been installed with a chain and lock, so the front door could not be opened without a key (Pic 2).    My brother shooed me away to the room in the back.

I felt humiliation that I was not being treated as a human and protested, “you are treating me like a dog.  I’m a human.”  All the windows were installed with special locks, and keys were needed to unlock them.  The windows could not be opened from inside (Pic 3).  My mother, brother, sister and brothers’ wife always monitored me, and they told me to leave the sliding door of my room open.

Though 2 Years and 3 months had already passed since the confinement in Niigata and 2 years had passed since I said I would renounce my belief, there was no sign of release from the confinement at all.  The situation of my pretension to leave the church was in deadlock, and my mental situation was almost reaching a breaking point. 

"Why do I have to continue this kind of thing in Japan which guarantees the basic human rights and religious freedom under the Constitution?  Though they are doing some unlawful acts such as forcefully abducting and confining to de-convert people, they don't show any prick of conscience and criticize the Unification Church.  I have to spend a day after day by pretending as a former UC member, and by forcing me to sing their tune."  I had a fearful feeling for what would happen to my sprit if this situation continued.

In addition to that, I couldn't do anything but feel growing frustration and emptiness, thinking in mind "I could have started a married life with my fiancée if I was not abducted and confined."  So soon after I was transferred to the "Flower Home 804", I was determined to reveal that I had pretended to renounce my belief.  I called my brother, and made him sit, and I told him that I had pretended.  I condemned him by banging on the desk, "You are wrong to do this kind of thing."  I vented my gloomy feeling, which had accumulated within myself for a long time.

As a result of my announcement that I had pretended to leave the church, it became a routine that I received all kinds of criticism, defamation and abusive words from my family members and Takashi Miyamura & others who visited the apartment later on.  I became to receive their uncompromising deprogramming work to force me to abandon the faith.  Soon after the announcement of revealing my pretension, I proceeded towards the front door to try to escape.  I was grabbed by my brother, pushed down and I was caught.  I was shocked to know that my physical strength got much weaker than I thought.

The feeling of despair attacked me, as I had to give up on my escape plan from the confinement apartment, not only because the door was locked by chain and special tool, but also my escape was refused by force.
--------------------------------
The end of Part 3


Lint to other part of Goto's statement
Goto's Statement Part 1
Goto's Statement Part 2 
Goto's Statement Part 3 
Goto's Statement Part 4 (First Half)
Goto's Statement Part 4 (Second Half) 
Goto's Statement Part 5
Goto's Statement Part 6   


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Goto's statement to Tokyo District Court - Part 2

Today's post is continuation of Toru Goto's statement submitted to Tokyo District Court. In today's article, section 5 (1) is translated into English. Original documents in Japanese can be viewed at here.

Mr.Toru Goto when he was finally
released from the 12 years'
confinement in Feb 2008.
Photo by Mr.Kazuhiro Yonemoto

Mr.Toru Goto is taken to Niigata from Tokyo in today's statement.  This was the event which occurred in 1995. Niigata is 200km north from Tokyo, facing Sea of Japan. Check at Google maps.

 

Index of the Toru Goto's statement

1.   Personal History
2.  Joining Unification Church (1986)
3.  First Confinement (Oct 1987 - Nov 1987)
4.  After Escape from First Confinement
5.  Second Confinement
   (1) Confinement in Niigata (Sep 1995)
   (2) Transferred to First Apartment in Tokyo (1997)
   (3) Transferred to Second Apartment in Tokyo (Dec 1997)
   (4) Miyamura's deprogramming work
   (5) First Hunger Strike – 21 days
   (6) Second Hunger Strike – 21 days
   (7) Third Hunger Strike – 30 days
   (8) Release from Prison
6. After Hospitalization
7. At the End

---------------------------------------------

5.   Second Confinement

(1)    Confinement in Niigata
When I was staying at my parents’ house in Nishi-Tokyo City at night on Sep 11, 1995, the peaceful atmosphere changed amid the rising tension.  My father said to me, ”Toru, I have something to talk to you about.”  Then he started to criticize the Unification Church.  Then he said, ”Let’s move to another place.”  I thought, “I was trapped again.”  I said, “We can talk here” and I protested for a while whilst seated.  Then my brother’s wife said, “We have better things to do than staying here.  Let’s go.”  My brother and father held me from the both sides, and forcefully lifted me up.  As my mother, brother’s wife, sister, and other men coming out of the hiding place of the garden surrounded me, I had no way to resist.  And I was dragged out of the house and forcefully pushed into a van, and abducted.

I was shocked and felt fearful that my family kidnapped me again in spite of the promise not to do it again.  I was in despair and lost my drive to resist as I found out that my family was fully prepared for this event by mobilizing men and letting them hide in the garden to prevent me from escaping .  I knew later that the man hiding in the garden was an employee of Tap Co., Ltd which Miyamura owned.

My family members and strangers (could be my uncle) were in the van.  I couldn’t recognize the driver of the van.  I was forced to sit in the middle of the seat in the far back row, and my brother sat on the right hand side, and my father sat on the left.  My father always held my arm.  I furiously protested to my family, “You said you wouldn’t do it again.”  No reply from my family members.  I asked “where are you taking me?”  My brother replied, “You will know when we get there.”  He didn’t tell me the destination.  I was taken to Niigata under confinement in the van.

Nature called in the van on the way to the destination.  I demanded that I had to go to the toilet.  My family members did not allow me to go to the toilet, and gave me a plastic portable toilet instead, and told me to use it.  I had to relieve nature in the van in which there were some strangers.  It was very humiliating to me.  No one talked in the van, and the atmosphere in the van was very tense.

Palace Mansion Tamon
with Mr.Toru Goto
taken from
SekaiNippo website

We arrived at the apartment called “Palace Mansion Tamon”.  (I found out the name of the apartment from the police that investigated the case.)  I was forced to get off the van, urged by my father and brother.  I thought “They have prepared a room to confine me though they promised not to do it again.  They have fully prepared for the abduction plan.”  My brother and father grabbed my arms, surrounded by other family members and the driver, and I was taken to an apartment room #607.  I didn’t have any energy left to resist fiercely as results of frustration and misery after betrayed by own family members.

Security locks called “Window Lock” (Pic 2) were fitted on all of the windows of the room, so the windows couldn’t be opened from inside.  A window lock was fitted on the door of the room “A” (See the Chart 2), so the door of the room “A” was locked permanently.  I never saw the door opened.

Click on the photo to enlarge.

Click on chart to enlarge.

My father was holding a key of the front door to unlock from inside when Christian minister Matsunaga and former UC members visited the apartment.  I witnessed this by accident when I came out of the toilet, which was when Matsunaga and his assistants arrived.  I have no doubt that the front door was locked from inside after I was brought in.

The memory of my suffering from the previous confinement in the Keio Plaza Hotel and forcible de-conversion process 8 year earlier was recalled, and I couldn’t go to sleep, imagining the suffering would start again, and I had a sudden urge to shout.  Just abduction, confinement and no freedom would cause people immeasurable amounts of distress and pain.   But on top of that, the abduction and confinement for the purpose of forcible de-conversion trample my faith which is precious and more important than my own life.  There are no words to express such fear and distress that I wouldn’t be released until I abandoned my faith.

In the room, my parents, sister and my brother’s wife were always monitoring me.  A few days later, my father said to me, “Toru, can you please tell us about the Divine Principle which you believe?”

This is a systematic method that deprogrammers instruct family members to use in forcible de-conversion.  Deprogrammers let the victim explain the doctrine they believe.  Then after family members listen to the victim’s explanation, they would say, “I understand what you explained.  This time, please listen to our explanation.” So they make a chance for deprogrammers to act as a third party to intervene.

I was furious and thought that I didn’t need to explain anything under forcible confinement.  But out of the desire that I want to be free as quickly as possible, I explained the Divine Principle to my family by drawing charts on the writing pads.  When my explanation finished a week later, as I expected, my father spoke to me, ”There is a Christian minister who knows about the Unification Church very well.  I want you to listen to him.”

Niitsu Fukuin Christ Chruch
photo by Mr.Hisao Ogawa
And
Pastor Yasuhiro Matsunaga(Right Top)
taken from the church's website.

Soon after, pastor Matsunaga started to visit the apartment accompanying some former UC members.  My blood boiled with overwhelming indignation to see a Christian minister visiting me in forced and inhumane custody in order to carry out forcible de-conversion.  Matsunaga opened his talk saying “The Unification Church is a problematic group.”  He visited me in the apartment a few times a week, totaling 20 to 30 times.  He repeated criticism against the doctrine and founder of the church, and forced me to abandon my belief.

Matsunaga compared the established Christian churches with the Unification Church and insulted me by saying, “Can’t you distinguish *Miso from *Kuso?”  He asked me, “The word of Messiah comes from the Bible.  Why is Sun Myung Moon a Messiah?  Please explain based on the Bible.”  I replied, “Everyone has freedom what to believe.  I became a UC member as I was impressed with the Divine Principle.  If you want break my faith, present me something more than the Divine Principle instead of criticizing.”  Then Matsunaga answered, ”I was asked by your parents to persuade you (not to witness you to Christian church). The first thing you have to do is to look at the problematic Unification Church.  This is a place for such discussion.”  I opposed by saying, “It is impossible to have such discussion under this kind of forcible environment.  You are coward.  The UC which you criticize never confine people in order to gain members.”  He didn’t listen to me, nor showed any prick of conscience.  His attitude made my blood boil.

*Notes by translator: Miso = bean paste = something valuable, Kuso = turd = something worthless while they have something common in color and shape.

At on one occasion, Matsunaga criticized the Divine Principle which explains the UC doctrine, "The Divine Principle says adultery is the most serious sin, but this is wrong.  In the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament, adultery is the 7^th command, and not the first.  Son of man is man.  Young of monkey is monkey.  Christ, son of God is surely God.  Why can man become a son of God?  Christ, son of God mustn’t be someone other than Jesus who is God himself.  Sun Myung Moon who is a human definitely can be a messiah.”   Matsunaga regarded his church doctrine which he believes in as absolute, and on the other hand he regarded the UC doctrine as heretic, and criticized.  Matsunaga sometimes raised his voice when excited, and yelled on me, “The Unification Church is a criminal group.  A man who always says money, money, money can’t be Messiah.  He is completely different from Jesus. ”   He caused me mental distress.  

At the same time, total of around 20 former UC members who were deprogrammed by Matsunaga visited the apartment by turn, and I was forced to listen to their stories why they quit the church.  Among the visitors were A (Female), Mr. Hiroaki Koike (pastor at the Niitsu Fukuin Church in Niigata), B (Male), C (Male).  Their stories were always critical comments on the UC, its teachings and the founder.  I was forced to listen day after day in the closed space to their stories, which I did not want to listen.  I had unbearable pain, and I felt I would be mentally ill.  I had to pray to God, “I may be going mad.  If so, I’m not be able to worship you.  Please protect me.”

I was surrounded by Matsunaga, former UC members and family members in a prison-like confinement room.  They as a group shot criticism at me.  This was exactly the same as the witch-hunt inquisition in the medieval Christian church.  When I was experiencing such act of barbarism in modern Japan,which guarantees freedom and democracy, I couldn’t help but lament if Japan is really a state governed by rule of law.

Among the UC members who renounced the UC after receiving Matsunaga’s de-conversion process, there were some people who commuted to Matsunaga’s church for rehabilitation purpose after release from the forced confinement.  They stated that Matsunaga at that time conducted study sessions every Saturday afternoon to teach how to remove children from the UC for around 20 parents who wanted their children withdraw from the UC at Niitsu Fukuin Christ Church in Niigata where Matsunaga himself belonged to.  At the study sessions, they showed 8 kinds of videos to teach the reality of the UC and the method of UC member’s thinking.  In the video, Matsunaga himself was talking. 

Especially the videos tilted “Handling 1 & 2” explained the way how parents should behave before and during the persuasion process in confinement in order to de-convert children, and also the videos showed how to deal with after the confinement.  Parents of UC followers’ children attended the study sessions and watched the videos over and over again.

Parents were taught that the UC church members couldn’t be removed from the UC by any other methods except for the persuasion involving abduction and confinement.  If parents consulted with Magusnaga, he suggested that they should attend 2-day seminar.  This seminar was held in order to train and educate parents, so the parents could carry out abduction and confinement for their children who are the UC followers.  The most important part of the seminars was specific simulated training how to abduct and confine children.  Matsunaga himself gave lectures on specific contents for the abduction and confinement using a blackboard.

Mr. Hirohisa Koide, who attended the seminar with Matsunaga many times and even gave lectures for the seminar testified in detail about the very specific instructions of the methods to use.  Also Mr. Koide accompanied Matsunaga to an apartment in Niigata called “Royal Corp” to make the room ready for confinement.  He was asked to hold the chain type lock, which was used to lock the front door from inside, and he installed special tools on windows so that windows couldn’t be opened from inside.  Also he nailed down the sliding doors to make them un-usable.  These jobs were done according to the Matsunaga’s instructions.  I can’t help but feel anger and indignation towards the pastor who was instructing something dreadful and awful behind the scenes.  A pastor is supposed to give people consolation in sole.

It is almost impossible that the parents of the UC members, who had no experience or knowledge of de-conversion can plan on their own and carry it out without Matsunaga’s education and instruction.  No normal person can think of such a fully prepared plan and perfectly organized abduction/confinement process.  My parents carried out forcible de-conversion by abduction and confinement for 3 times to their 3 children including myself.  I have no doubt that my parents asked Matsunaga for consultation and instruction.

It looked like they had an arrangement of how many times they should knock on the door when Matsunaga or former UC members visited the apartment.  I always heard knocks on the door a few times like a signal.  Then my family members looked nervous and hurried to the door, and then welcomed them.  When I heard the sound of the knock, my body got filled with a tense and tremendous sense of discomfort, and I was attacked by the feeling that blood drained from my face.

Even though 3 years have passed since the release from the confinement, I still suffer the after-effects.  When I hear the sound of the knock on the door, I get a chill and a feeling of discomfort attacking me.

As my brother was working in Tokyo, he only sometimes visited the apartment.  Whenever he came, he used to ask me, ”What are you thinking now?  How about pastor Matsunaga’s talk?  Are you still confident in the Principle (the doctrine of the UC)? ”  My brother must have been checking how much the persuasion was progressing and how much I was free from “so called mind control which they say”.  I felt unspeakable anger and disgust towards their methods, which controlled information under forcible confinement and were intrusive to my heart (thought and creed).

I had a fiancee whom I met at the UC wedding a month earlier and we pledged our love for the future.  As I couldn’t contact her, I thought in my mind, “What is she doing now?  She must be worrying about me.  She must be looking for me.”  My heart ached.

At around the end of December 1995 when 3 and half months had passed since the confinement, I judged that it would be impossible to be released from this situation.  I decided to pretend to renounce the church against my will in order to escape.  As a sign to withdraw from the church, I wrote a “letter of withdraw” from the Unification Church against my will.  After I wrote the letter, Matsunaga instructed me to write a report why I decided to leave the UC.  I was made to write 10-page report.

It was used as a test to see whether I really abandoned my faith in the UC.  Even though I kept the faith in the UC, to write such a thing was nothing more than pain.  I hid my true thought with a hope that I could be released as soon as possible, and I wrote the letter as Matsunaga and family members wished.      

Even if I wanted to escape from the apartment, I could not action it during the pretension period.  It was a time to cause me considerable degree of tension.  Because for an example if I took an action to approach the front door to check the lock and if my pretension was discovered, it would be more difficult to be released and pastor Matsunaga would re-start deprogramming work on me, and it was sure that I would be forced to listen to defamation and abuse.  It was an unbearable experience to me.      

Therefore I couldn’t take any action, which made the captors doubt that I didn’t give up my faith during this period until the time I could definitely escape would arrive.  I could do nothing but wait patiently for the time I could run away perfectly.  But my family kept on confining me even after I declared that I would withdraw from the church.  As I ran away from the first confinement in 1987 by pretending to renounce the church, I thought my family became more cautious.

I was not allowed to go outside.  I became impatient and said to my family, “Can I go for a walk even for a short while as I feel suffocated in this apartment? “  My family did not allow me to do so.  Time had passed and I was almost burst with a growing frustration.  Also as I was in a fume against the illicit confinement, I accused my family, “One year has already passed since I wrote a withdrawal letter.  Why you don’t allow me even to go for a walk? ”  I judged that such my accusation would delay my release.  At the beginning of 1997, I decided not to mention such things, and I just kept on waiting very patiently for the day when I would be released from the apartment to come.

In March 1996, my father who was monitoring me in the apartment suddenly became ill, and he was hospitalized.  He had a heart bypass operation.  I was not released at all.  After the operation, he came back to the apartment.  In March 1997, he was hospitalized again with cancer, and died on June 22, 1997. (He was 65 years old.)  Because of my father’s hospitalization, there was a time when there was only a woman in the apartment to monitor me.  But due to the special lock on the front door and the reason above I couldn’t do anything but continue waiting until the moment would arrive to escape perfectly.
___________________________
End of translation.


Information Source:
http://antihogosettoku.blog111.fc2.com/blog-entry-23.html

Pictures/Chart:
http://antihogosettoku.blog111.fc2.com/blog-entry-23.html

http://www.worldtimes.co.jp/special2/ratikankin/100216.html

http://www.rachiinfo.com/blog/2009/11/30/%E5%BE%8C%E8%97%A4%E5%BE%B9%EF%BC%91%EF%BC%92%E5%B9%B4%EF%BC%95%E3%81%8B%E6%9C%88%E6%8B%89%E8%87%B4%E7%9B%A3%E7%A6%81%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6/


Lint to other part of Goto's statement
Goto's Statement Part 1
Goto's Statement Part 2 
Goto's Statement Part 3 
Goto's Statement Part 4 (First Half)
Goto's Statement Part 4 (Second Half) 
Goto's Statement Part 5
Goto's Statement Part 6 

###

Goto's statement to Tokyo District Court - Part 1

Mr.Toru Goto (victim of 12 years and 5 months confinement) filed a civil suit in Feb. 2011.

There were already two hearings in Tokyo District Court.  First hearing was held on Mar. 22, 2011 followed by May 17 session. They were basically for submission of the documents and to determine the next hearing dates.  (Next two sessions will be held on Aug.16 and Oct.11, 2011)

Goto (Plaintiff) submitted complaint, brief(preparatory writing) and statement. The defendants submitted defendant's answer to the complaint and statement.

Support Committee for Toru Goto't Court Case has published all the documents submitted to the court on its website. It includes the defendant's side documents. http://antihogosettoku.blog111.fc2.com/

I've decided to translate the documents uploaded in the Support Committee's website into English, so people in the world would know what's happening on the civil case.

Already many documents from both parties were submitted to the court.  I skip some earlier submitted documents, and I've picked up the Goto's statement which should be one of the most important documents in the case.

Toru Goto's Statement - Part 1 (1 to 4 in the index below)

Index of the Toru Goto's statement

1.   Personal History
2.  Joining Unification Church (1986)
3.  First Confinement (Oct 1987 - Nov 1987)
4.  After Escape from First Confinement
5.  Second Confinement
   (1) Confinement in Niigata (Sep 1995)
   (2) Transferred to First Apartment in Tokyo (1997)
   (3) Transferred to Second Apartment in Tokyo (Dec 1997)
   (4) Miyamura's deprogramming work
   (5) First Hunger Strike – 21 days
   (6) Second Hunger Strike – 21 days
   (7) Third Hunger Strike – 30 days
   (8) Release from Prison
6. After Hospitalization
7. At the End

In today's article, first 4 sections (1-4) are translated into English.

Toru Goto's statement
---------------------

April 21, 2011

Kita-ku, Tokyo

1.  

  

             1. Personal History

Mr. Toru Goto

I was born in Yonezawa-shi, Yamagata on Nov 2, 1963 as a 2^nd son.  My father was born on Nov 25, 1931 and deceased on June 22, 1997.  My mother was born on Dec 10, 1932, currently 78 years old.  I have an elder brother (born on March 28, 1961, currently 50 years old) and a younger sister (Feb 14, 1967, currently 43 years old)

I entered Oonoda Primary School of Musashino city in Tokyo.  I was transferred to Hoya Daiichi Primary School of Hoya city in Tokyo, and graduated from the same in March 1976.

I entered Seiran Junior High School of Hoya city.  I was transferred to Yachiyo Daini Junior High School of Yachiyo city in Kumamoto, and graduated from the same in March 1979.

I entered Hikawa Senior High School of Kumamoto in April 1979, and graduated from the same in March 1982.

I started the Architecture course at the Science and Engineering Department of Nihon University, and graduated from the same in March 1987.

I was employed by Taisei Construction Corporation in April 1987. 

2.        

    2. Joining Unification Church

I was taken to a Video Center in Okachimachi, Tokyo accompanied by my brother when I was in the 4^th year at the university.  The center was called a Video Center which was operated by the followers of the Holy Spirit Association of the Unification of the World Christianity (Unification Church).  My brother had already become a member of the church when he invited me to learn the teachings.  I was not so keen to learn. But I gave in to my brother’s enthusiasm and commuted to the Video Center. 

I learned the Divine Principle, which is the doctrine of the Unification Church via the video presentation and also by attending 3-day-seminar and 4-day-seminar.

At that time I was in the 4^th year at University, soon to be a member of society, and such time should have been a time filled with hope.  However, I felt depressed to hear of the wars, crimes or divorces.  I didn’t like my selfishness and I was struggling as I could not find hope and value in life.  I couldn’t talk to anyone about my internal suffering which had no definite answer.  During the holiday at university, I used to meditate at a fasting center in Fujisawa city, Kanagawa. 

The Divine Principle, which my brother introduced to me had a strong impact in my struggling situation.  Existence of God, the purpose of the creation of God is realization of love and joy, the relationship between God and human being is parents and child, the cause of unhappiness and sin is caused by fall of man, human history is the history of restoration, and so on.  The Divine Principle made me understand clearly the purpose and value of my life.  It gave me hope when I was struggling in despair.  It revived my dying soul to new life with uplifting joyfulness.  I decided to join the Unification Church.

After attending the church seminars, I belonged to a university students’ organization called “Student Department”.  I lived together with other members at the church center called “Home”.  My brother witnessed my sister to the church.  She was a college student.  She learned the Divine Principle at the Video Center near her college, and she joined the church.

I graduated from the architecture course of the Science and Engineering Department of Nihon University in March 1987, and was employed by Taisei Construction Corporation in April 1987.  I lived at the Okachimachi center (Home) and commuted to work.

3.       3. First Confinement

In 1987, deprogramming operations were frequently occurring influenced by mass media’s report.  In May 1987, my brother was kidnapped, confined and he was forced into the deprogramming process when he was on his way to visit the parents home.  

My brother said to me that his father met him on the way to his home.  My brother thought “it’s very unusual that my father welcomes me on the way home.” And he was walking home with his father.  As soon as father’s hand touched his body, father shouted “NOW”.  Then strangers from a hiding place suddenly jumped out and attacked him, and pushed him into a waiting van.  

When the van stopped at the train crossing, my brother jumped out of the window.  Then he scuffled with father and his supporters.  Someone reported to police, and they were taken to the police station.  Though my brother claimed that he was kidnapped and asked for desperate help from the police, the police listened to his father and he was taken the confinement site in the car.

Deprogrammer - Takashi Miyamura

One of the deprogrammers of my brother was Takashi Miyamura, who is a managing director of an advertisement company called Tap Co. Ltd.  Later this Miyamura was involved in my 2^nd kidnapping and confinement.  At that time Miyamura coordinated with Christian minister, Satoshi Moriyama of Jesus Christ Church of Japan in Ogikubo, and the Ogikubo church became their base.  They were asked by some parents to break their children's faith ofthe Unification Church.   

Some parents were on a waiting list.  And during the waiting period, the parents were trained the method of kidnapping, confinement and breaking faith.  Miyamura organized a parents meeting called “Suikei Kai”.  In the Suikei Kai, there was a system that the parents who were successful in deprogramming their children help the parents having a turn in kidnapping and taking children to the confinement room near the Okikubo Eiko Church, then Miyamura visited the confinement site for deprogramming purpose.  Later I had a chance to look at the list, and I saw many parents names filled out.  I heard that the last line of the waiting list is in a few hundreds. 

After my brother left church, he became to support Miyamura to deprogram the church members.  Also he was employed by Tap Co. Ltd., and my brother became Miyamura’s assistant.  My parents request to deprogram me was almost at the far end of the list.  My brother later said to me that the turn for my deprogramming became quicker by jumping the queue as my brother supported Miyamura’s deprogramming with enthusiasm.

At that time, I worried so much about my brother and even I couldn’t sleep at night as he went missing after he had gone home.  I looked for him everywhere I could, from home to Christian church, which is said my brother stayed, but I couldn’t find him.

In Oct 1987, my father contacted me and said my brother wanted to see me, and told to come to Shinjuku.  I worried that I would be kidnapped, so two Unification Church members (men) followed me.  I followed my father to the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku.  I got on an elevator, but the two men were separated.  I was taken to a room in higher level.  My brother was waiting, and said, "I’ve decided to leave the church.  I want you to learn what I learned."

The room of the Shinjuku Keio Plaza Hotel

I noticed that some work was done on the door of the room, so the door does not open from inside.  Therefore I couldn’t go out to the hallway from the room.  The hotel suite has 2 rooms adjacent each other and connected by a door.  The entrance and exit to and from the suite was done through the next room.  Of course the purpose of this arrangement was to prevent me from escaping.  It was very shocking for me that my brother called me to the hotel to confine and deprogram me.  

Soon after, Takashi Miyamura visited the room accompanying former Unification Church members.  In one instance, Miyamura asked one of his men, “What is the existence of Sun Myung Moon for you?” The man replied, “Like this” pointing at the cigarette butts which heavy smoker Miyamura left in the ashtray.  I can’t forget the sense of humiliation when the man ridiculed me by saying so. The man’s face was filled with insult.  I was furious about the deceptive confinement and I locked myself in the toilet, and shouted, “Get me out of here.  Help.”  The door was opened from outside, and I got dragged out of the toilet.  I scuffled with my father and brother, but I was outnumbered and they overpowered me.

While I was forced to listen to their critics against the church or church doctrine by Miyamaura and the former UC members, I got the urge to break the window by throwing a chair.  I lifted a chair up, but I stopped short of doing it as I thought it may have hit the passersby.  As I was forced to listen to the defamation against the church and the church founder, I experienced unbearable pain.  After a few days later, I thought I was not able to get out if I kept the faith.  And I pretended to abandon my faith against my will.

Ogikubo Eiko Church

About a week later, I was taken to an apartment room in Ogikubo, Sugunami-ku from the Keio Plaza Hotel.I was confined in the apartment for almost a month.  I had to attend the church service at the Ogikubo Eiko  Chruch with constant supervision of my parents and brother.  Also I was forced to visit the nearby apartment where a UC church member was confined for deprogramming purpose.

I wanted to help the church member in front of me who was suffering from the ongoing deprogramming process under the forceful confinement.  But I had to give up my intention because I thought I had to go through more relentless confinement and deprogramming process if my pretension to leave church was discovered.   

Many former UC members who left the church as a result of deprogramming by Miyamura and Moriyama were attending the meeting at the Ogikubo Eiko Church.  Some members among them were actively supporting Miyamura’s deprogramming operations like my brother.  At one time, I was forced to attend the Suikei Kai meeting held at a house just opposite side of the Ogikubo Eiko Church, and I witnessed one scene that the Miyamura was instructing parents how kidnapping and confinement could help children get out of the group.

In April of that year, I entered a company as a newly graduated employee, and assigned to the construction site in Funabashi, Chiba as a site supervisor.  But I was kidnapped all of sudden, I could not contact the company.  And I was not allowed to contact the company during the confinement and I was always under constant scrutiny.   I was forced to be absent from the work for many weeks, and I felt pain to cause my company trouble.

Towards the end of November in 1987, I was looking for a chance to escape.  When I attended the Sunday service at the Ogikubo Eiko Church, I ran away from the church building by pretending to go the toilet, and escaped to the Unification Church Center.

4.       4. After Escape from First Confinement

I was scared of another kidnapping attempt by my family after I returned to the center.  I asked the church to transfer me to another department from the original department which my brother knew.  I named “Yuuji Suzuki” and I could not tell my family where I was, and I was in hiding.  When I saw a van sitting on the street, I was extremely fearful with the feeling that someone may have jumped out from a hiding place, attacked me and taken me to the van.

In fact, at that time, many Unification Church members were reported missing all of sudden.  For 3 years from 1990 to 1992, 941 members went missing.  233 members out of 941 returned to the church.  According to the survey of the 233 members, they were kidnapped and confined against their will in an attempt to break their faith.  In 1992, only 1 year, there were 375 missing members.  Average of more than 1 member were kidnapped and confined daily.

“Why do I have to be frightened with the fear like medieval witch hunt in modern Japan which guarantees the religious freedom?”  While I lamented the situation, I had no relaxed time, fearing “I may be kidnapped today.”

I wished to go back to work for the company I joined in Spring.  But if I went back to work, my family would know where I was.  I couldn’t go back to work because of the fear that I may be kidnapped again.  I had no other way than to resign the company, and I was involved in the church work such as witnessing or educational activities in the church community.

I worried about my sister at that time as my brother and myself were kidnapped in a row.  And the worry came true.  At the beginning of 1989, my sister was kidnapped and left the church.  I was stung with remorse for a while after that because I could not protect her from coercive faith breaking.

My brother joined anti Unification Church movement which Miyamura organized after he left the church.  He filed a law suit at the Tokyo District Court against the Unification Church so called “lost youth” case in 1991.

In August, I attended a church wedding ceremony of 30,000 couples held in Seoul, South Korea with a lady (Goto’s first fiancee) follower of the Unification Church.  The wedding ceremony is the ceremony where we pledge that we will build a peaceful family with the eternal partner for the future, and of course it’s my desire.  But my fiancee left the church after she went through a coercive faith breaking process done by her family.

Many months have passed since my first kidnapping/confinement.  I was cautious for the chance of 2^nd kidnapping, but I thought things would remain unsettled.  I started to talk with my family over the phone, sent letters to them and gave presents on their birthdays.  Around 1992, my father said to me , "I won’t do such a thing again." in an over the phone conversation.  He promised not to do it again.  Then I let him know where I was, and I was able to communicate with my family members while they opposed my faith of the Unification Church.

My brother married a woman in Jan. 1995. The brother's wife was a former Unification Church member, who was kidnapped and confined by her family members, deprogrammed by Miyamura and Yasutomo Matsunaga (Christian minister of Niitsu Church, Japan Alliance Christ Church).  After she left church, she became involved with anti Unification Church activities, and she lodged a “lost youth” lawsuit at Niigata District Court in 1991.

I attend at the 360,000 couple's  wedding ceremony in Seoul, South Korea with my 2^nd fiancee.  I was then 31 years old in Aug 1995.  I was thinking of quitting the church work while keeping the faith of Unification Church and finding a job to prepare for married life and for the future.  However I was kidnapped and confined again in Sep 1995, I could not find a job, and I could not start a married life with my fiancee.

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Part 1 ends
* Picture are taken from http://antihogosettoku.blog111.fc2.com/


Link to other part of Goto's statement
Goto's Statement Part 1
Goto's Statement Part 2 
Goto's Statement Part 3 
Goto's Statement Part 4 (First Half)
Goto's Statement Part 4 (Second Half) 
Goto's Statement Part 5
Goto's Statement Part 6


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