Notorious Deprogrammer, Mamoru TAKAZAWA Commits Suicide in May 2015.

According to an investigative reporter, Mr. Kazuhiro YONEMOTO, Mamoru Takazawa (Evangelical Minister of Kobe Makoto Church)  committed suicide in the middle of May 2015, and the funeral was held on 15 May 2015 in Kobe, Japan. (Kobe is in large Osaka area.)
http://yonemoto.blog63.fc2.com/blog-entry-590.html

Mamoru TAKAZAWA,
Evangelical Minster of Kobe Makoto Church

 Mr. and Mrs. S.  lodged a criminal complaint against Mamoru TAKZAWA in Nov. 2014 for being kidnapped and confined  under the direction of the Evangelical Minister.

Petition to Rescue Masato Ishibashi

The Japanese Victims Association against Religious Kidnapping and Forced Conversion (Tokyo, President = Mr. Toru Goto) started online petition to seek for urgent release of Mr. Masato Ishibashi from private prison.  He has been confined for 1 year and 2 months in an attempt to abandon his faith against his will. 

Please visit the following link and join the petition. Then scroll down until you see English texts.  The page has Korean texts as well.

Petition to Rescue Mr. Masato Ishibashi

Landmark Decision in Appeal Court in Goto's Case

The initial court decision made on Jan 2014 contained problematic issues.  One of the issues were that Christian minister, Matsunaga's responsibility was not questioned, and the other of the issues was the amount of the damage compensation which was merely around US$45,000 for the 12 years and 5 months  confinement.

On Nov 13, 2014, the high court decision was announced.  Both deprogrammers, pastor Matsunaga and Miyamura's responsibilities towards the Goto's confinement were acknowledged by the appeal court.  And Mr.Goto was awarded 22,000,000 Yen (about US$200,000), which is 4.5times more than the previous decision.

Hiroshima couple filed criminal complaint against deprogrammer and family members.

In July 2014, a couple was adbucted againt their will for the purpose of forced de-conversion.  HRWF (Human Rights Without Forntiers) reported in its newsletter in Sep. 2014.

HRWF (11.09.2014) - On July 26th, 2014, two members of the Unification Church in Japan, Mr. and Mrs. S., b oth in their 40's, were kidnapped by their respective relatives under the direction of an Evangelical Minister, Mamoru Takawaza, leaving their two children behind.

Mr. S.'s parents visited his house and picked him up saying "Let's go to the hospital to see our relative." After he sat in the car, they banded his both hands and ankles with cords. They brought him to an apartment in Osaka City and confined him.

Mrs. S.'s parents invited her to their home in Hiroshima City. She visited them with her two children: a son (8 years old) and a daughter (3 years old). While her mother took her grand-daughter out for shopping, she stayed with her son asleep at home. Suddenly, male relatives including her father attacked her. They tied her hands and ankles with cords, wrapped her into a sleeping bag and banded the sleeping bag with strings. In spite of her frantic struggle, they conveyed her into a wagon type car and took her to Osaka City to the same apartment where husband had already been brought, and which was especially equipped for their confinement.

While taken into the flat, she screamed and the neighbors called the police. When the police came to the apartment, her father and Minister Takazawa persuaded them that this was just a "talk" between family members about her religious affiliation with the Unification Church and the police did not do anything to rescue her at this point.

Mr. and Mrs. S. had been deprived of their mobile phones by their relatives, so they could not contact outside people. However, two days later on 28th July, Mrs. S. managed to send a distress email to members of the Unification Church (UC) in Hiroshima asking them for rescue. Those members went to the police and showed them her e-mail. The police promised to investigate but after Minister Takazawa and Mr. and Mrs. S.'s fathers gave their explanation of the situation, the police concluded that this was "not a case".

On July 31st at midnight, Mrs. S. managed to make an emergency call to the police using her mother's mobile phone while she was asleep and asked for rescue saying she was confined with her husband by five or six persons. The police then had to act and finally five or six policemen went to the apartment. They found that the couple was actually confined and that the situation was actually a criminal case. The victims were released from the apartment and were able to go home and pick their children up safely.

The couple's rescue was only due to the luck of Mrs. S. in getting access to a mobile phone and being able to make a distress call to the police direct. All the previous cases of abduction and confinement did not have this opportunity and the Japanese police have turned a blind eye on these abuses.
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On Nov 7, 2014, the Unification Church officially announced that Mr. & Mrs. S lodged a criminal complaint to the Hiroshima Police.
http://www.uc-pr.org/関連資料/プレスリリース-神戸市の牧師等を刑事告訴/

Appeal Court Decides Goto's Case on 13 Nov 2014.

On Jan 28, 2014, the Tokyo District Court ruled in favor of Toru Goto who was kidnapped and confined for 12 years and 5 months for the purpose of forceful de-conversion.  Both the plaintiff and defendants appealed to the Tokyo High Court.

The first session in the appeal court was held on 5 June 2014.

Today on 21 Aug 2014, the High Court concluded the case and announced that the verdict would be handed down on 13 Nov 2014 2:30 pm.

Information source:
http://www.ucjp.org/?p=17844

Housewife in Osaka Disappeared and still Missing

Here's the 3rd case of abduction and forced confinement in July 2014.  First 2 cases were reported in the following article.

Case 1:  3 Abduction Cases Occurred in Japan in July, 2014

Case 2:  56-Year-Old Housewife Kidnapped in Aichi

Case 3: Housewife in Osaka Disappeared and still Missing

 http://kidnapping.jp/news/20140804.html

A housewife (Mrs. M) in Osaka disappeared on July 26, 2014, and she is still missing.  From the situation of the disappearance, it is believed that her husband and child are confining her.      (End of quote)

 

In Case 1,  it was one of the rare cases that Japanese police rescued the victims.  Police raided on the confinement site because the victim could make a police emergency call using her family member's mobile phone.  Her mobile phone was confiscated by the captors.  It is not known how she could manage to use the family member's mobile phone. 

Police should investigate and indict the captors including 2 Christian ministers.  

At this moment (Aug 5, 2014), 2 people are believed to be confined for forced de-conversion.

One is Mr. Masato Ishibashi, who disappeared at the beginning of Jan. 2014 .  More than 7 months have passed since then.  HRWF (Human Rights Without Frontier Internationl, Brussel) 's representative vistted Japan earlier this year, and asked Japanese police to meet Masato confidentially to confirm his will and rescue him if it was done against his will.  The police refused the rqeuest.

HRWF documented all the conversation with the police and submitted the report to the UN Human Rights Committee.  The details of the report can benn seen in the following link.  (Scroll down until you see English texts after clicking on the link.)

 http://humanrightslink.seesaa.net/article/402272459.html

 Another missing person is Mrs. M.  (as mentioned above). 

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56-Year-Old Housewife Kidnapped in Aichi

In July, 2014, 3 abduction and forced confinement cases occurred in Japan.  All the victims were the Unification Church members.  The first case (Case 1) was already reported in the previous article.
http://humanrightslink.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/3-abduction-cased-occurred-in-japan-in.html 

Here's the 2nd case.
http://kidnapping.jp/news/20140804.html

Case 2: 56-year-old housewife kidnapped in Aichi

Mrs. K. had an aborted attempt of abduction and forced confinement in the past, and she and her husband made a family reconciliation that her husband would not abduct and confine her.  Nevertheless, as she detected a whiff of abduction in the morning on July 15, she tried to escape.  When she left home early in the morning on that day, her husband and daughter found her.  They grabbed her arms and pushed her back home, she was placed under surveillance at home.

 When she was told to move to another place,  she resisted by holding on the furniture.  But  she was overpowered by men and pushed into a car and taken to her daughter's house, and then she was confined there.

Her husband and family members demanded that she should meet Christian minister Mkoto Sugimoto.  Sugimoto belongs to the United Church of Christ in Japan, and famous for anti-Unfication Church activities.  Mrs. K refused the demand, but family members just stubbornly insist on her seeing the minister.  In order to solve the deadlock, she had no choice but to agree to meet Sugimoto.  It seems that family members thought that if Mrs. K met Sugimoto, she would easily abandon her faith.

She was taken to Sugimoto's house 3 times in total, and she was shown videos and books which are critical to the Unification Church.  Also she underwent Sugimoto's relentless persuasion.  Mrs. K. has not changed.  After 10 days of her confinement, her family members felt like they reached the limit, and gave up the plan to de-convert Mrs. K and released her.

In this kind of case in the past, victims were not normally released until they abandoned their faith.  Didn't Sugimoto know that Mrs. K was forcefully taken to his place?  Mrs. K's family was restoring the relationships, but destroyed by this event.  How does Sugimoto take responsibility for this outcome?

Sugimoto once said that  there are many cases that family fall apart and parents-children relationships are deeply destroyed after making the religious members leave the church. 
http://www.kirishin.com/2008/03/20071117-1.html 

Case 3 will be uploaded later.  Please come back.

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3 Abduction Cases Occurred in Japan in July, 2014

According to the website of the Japanese Victims Association against Religious Kidnapping and Forced Conversion, 3 abduction cases occurred in July 2014.  Today's article is the translation from  from the website.

http://kidnapping.jp/news/20140804.html

Case 1: Family of 4 abducted in Hiroshima.

The victims are still under unstable condition, so only the following information is available  at the moment.

A couple and 2 children (8 y/o, and 3 y/o), who  belonged to the Unification Church were abducted separately* by their family members in Hiroshima, and transferred to an apartment in Osaka separately on different routes, and confined for the purpose of forcible de-conversion.

* The husband was abducted by his family members, and the wife was abducted by her family members. 
 
2 people appeared at the apartment .  One was a Christian minister, Mamoru Takazawa of Kobe Makoto Church, who was suspended the indictment of  criminal charges of  kidnapping UC members twice in the past.  The other was Atsuyoshi Ojima, who was a butler of  Nishi-Nippon (West Japan) Lutheran Church.

The couple was held in the apartment for 5 days, and had to endure forcible attempt of de-conversion for 5 hours everyday.

On the 6th day, 31 July 2014, the wife, whose mobile phone was confiscated managed to use her family member's mobile phone and called 110 (police emergency number).  The police raided on the apartment in 10 minutes, and the police rescued the couple.

 I will translate the Case 2 & 3 as soon as I can, probably tomorrow.

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Toru Goto Awarded 4,830,000 Yen (US$48,000)

Jan 28., 2014 Tokyo

Tokyo District Court ruled against Toru Goto's defendants and deprogrammer.  Toru Goto was awarded 4,830,000 Yen (US$48,000) in damage in total. 

Toru Goto was kidnapped and confined by his family members, and he was released on Feb 10, 2008 after 12 years and 5 months.  After 3 years of hearing, the court issued a ruling today.

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Judgement Day of the Goto's Court Case

2014-01-28
Today is the judgement day of the Toru Goto's court case. The session will start at the court room 709 at 3pm at the Tokyo District Court.  I'm not in Tokyo to witness the  judgement.

I will post the results as soon as I can.

Goto's Court Case - Turning Point of Deprogramming in Japan

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More than 4000 people of the Unification Church members have been kidnapped and confined against their will for the purpose of religious de-conversion (deprogramming) in Japan since 1966, and still occurring now (2013).

The deprogramming methods and practices involve kidnapping, confinement, coercive persuasion, physical violence, psychological isolation & harassment, and in some cases rape or suicide, and the confinement continues for weeks, months and years.

There are professional deprogrammers and Christian pastors who control parents behind the scene.  Japanese authorities regard the deprogramming practices "family matters", and the police fail to rescue the victims.  Media and human rights organizations in Japan are not interested in raising the issue as it happens to minor, unpopular and controversial religious organizations. 

According the recent study conducted by a Japanese university professor, 12.5% of the victims are suffering PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as after-effects even 20 years after the ordeal.


The ethical and legal issues of deprogramming has been raised in Western society in 1980s, and the practices were ceased completely in early 1990s.

But not in Japan.  The malicious crimes of deprogramming are still occurring in Japan in 2013. 

 As an extreme example, Mr. Toru Goto (the Unification Church member) was held in confinement against his will for 12 years and 5 months (Sep.11, 1995 - Feb.10, 2008) in an attempt to force him to renounce the faith.

Photo = Mr. Toru Goto
At the hospital after release
from 12-year confinement.
Feb 2008

Toru Goto lodged a criminal complaint against deprogrammers and family members in 2008, but it was declined by prosecutors.  The prosecutors' decision was supported by Inquest Committee.  Toru Goto lost the way to pursuit in criminal case in 2010.

Mr. Goto filed a civil suit against deprogrammers (Mr. Takashi Miyamura, Pastor Masunaga and his church, and family members (elder brother and his wife, younger sister) in 2011, and after almost 3 years of court battles, the judgement will be handed down on Dec 17, 2013.

I believe that Toru Goto's case will be major turning point in the History of Deprogramming in Japan as if Jason Soctt's civil case in the USA ceased the deprogramming practices and bankrupted CAN (Cult Awareness Network).





This blog and my facebook page "Human Rights Violations in Japan"  will update you with more information in relating to the Toru Goto's court case and deprogramming issues in Japan towards the judgement day.

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Toru Goto's Case Ends before Christmas 2013

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Mr. Toru Goto, a victim of 12-year-confinement filed a civil lawsuit on Jan 31, 2011.  Since then until the end of 2012, 12 sessions were held at the Tokyo District Court.  Those sessions are officially called "Oral Proceedings", but they are basically for the confirmation of submitted documents form both sides.

In 2013, the following 5 sessions were held. These sessions consisted of examination-in-chief and cross-examination of the plaintiff,  witnesses and the defendants.  (Examination-in-chief is the proceeding of the questions and answers to the plaintiff, witnesses, the defendants from their own lawyer(s).  Cross-examination is the proceeding from opponent's lawyer(s).  I myself was in Tokyo to observe the last 2 sessions in June 2013.

Mar. 11, 2013 10:00-17:00 Examination of Plaintiff, Toru Goto 

Apr. 8, 2013 10:00-17:00 Examination of Witnesses
                                         One from plaintiff, One from defendants

May 14, 2013 10:00-15:00 Examination of Toru Goto's Brother

Jun 3, 2013 10:00-17:00 Examination of Toru Goto's Brother's Wife
                                        Examination of Pastor Matsunaga

Jun 17, 2013 10:00-17:00 Examination of Toru Goto's Sister

                                          Examination of Takashi Miyamura

Then, the case was concluded with the submission of the final statements from both sides on Tuesday, Sep 24, 2013.  It had 18 sessions in total and took almost 3 years.  The judgement day is very close now.  The judgement day was arranged by the judge as follows.  I will try to be in Japan to witness the judgement, which I hope should have very strong impact on the deprogramming practices in Japan.

Judgement day of Toru Goto's Case:
Tuesday, 17 Dec 2013 (1:30pm)
Room 709, Tokyo District Court

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Open Letter from European and US Human Rights Organizations to Japan

Today (Mar. 11, 2013), a court hearing of Toru Goto's case was held in Tokyo District Court in Japan.  Today's court session was direct examination and counter-examination to the plaintiff (Toru Goto).  As soon as I hear the details of the today's session, I will write on this blog.

European and US human rights organization wrote an open letter to Japanese authorities in order to stop the kidnappings.  Central-European Religious Freedom Institute published the letter.  I quote the letter here, together with Japanese translation. 

Toru Goto's Court Battle Goes Into 3rd Year

Mr. Toru Goto, a victim of 12-year-confinement filed a lawsuit on Jan 31, 2011.  His court case is entering into 3rd year.   

The court procedures in the past 2 years are called "Oral Proceedings", but they are proceedings of submitting documents such as statements, counter-statements, briefs, counter-claims etc. from both sides.  More than 200 documents were submitted from Goto side.

This articles shows the schedule of the Goto court case for the first half of 2013.

University Student Kidnapped and Confined for Deprogramming Purpose in Japan

Mr. M.F. is believed to have been kidnapped and confined by his family members for forceful religious de-conversion since Nov 10, 2012.

Mr. M.F. is a 22-year-old university student at Okayama University of Science in Japan.   

Asako's Existence Encouraged Other Victims to Speak Out.

Ms Asako Shukuya was a victim of deprogramming (kidnapping and confinement for the purpose of forcible conversion).   After renouncing the faith in the Unification Church, she was true to her heart and courageously started to speak out about inhumane acts of deprogramming.

I regret that Asako passed away.  She died of Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) at the age of 48 at home on Oct 15, 2012.  I would like to write about Asako today.

Ms Asako Shukuya
Photo from: http://kidnapping.jp/news/20121120.html

Japanese Wife Murders Korean Husband (UC Couple) Due to Tiring Nursing Care

2012-08-30 A follow up article at the end of this page.

The following article is about a Unification Church international couple (Korean - Japanese) who is involved in murder case in Korea.   I would  like to introduce a newspaper article which was published on Aug. 22., 2012 on Choson Online Japanese Version.

You may say that this story has nothing to do with this blog's topic which is Human Rights Violations in Japan, more specifically deprogramming practices in Japan. 

However, I think that this case will be used by  deprogrammers to make good excuses for abduction and confinement which they call  "protection and persuasion". 

The active deprogrammers and anti Unification Church groups will use this case to convince the parents that parents must "rescue" their children (carry out the abduction and confinement).

If the Unification Church does not handle this issue in a responsible and open way, abductions and confinement in Japan may increase.  The parents would risk more to "rescue" their sons and daughters to prevent their children from becoming murderers or serious offenders of crimes .

Female UC Member Suspected of Being Kidnapped & Confined

The website of Japan Victims' Association against Religious Kidnapping & Forced Conversion reported today (Aug 4, 2012) that another kidnapping and confinement case had occurred.

http://kidnapping.jp/news/20120804.html

Title: Another case of Kidnapping and Confinement
Aug. 4, 2012  Tokyo, Japan

The contact from a female member was lost after she visited her parents' home in Takaoka city*, Toyoma at the end of July.  From the circumstances around that time, it is highly suspected that she was kidnapped and confined for deprogramming purpose.

The female victim (Ms T.A. - 29 years old) belongs to Seijou Church in Tokyo.  She started to learn the Divine Principle at 2002.  She notified her parents of her faith in the Unification Church.

(*Takaoka city is about 300km north west from Tokyo.)

About  Japan Victims' Association against Religious Kidnapping & Forced Conversion

It was founded by the Unification Church members who were victims of Kidnapping and Confinement on Jan 8, 2010.  The president is Mr. Toru Goto who was confined for 12 years and 5 months against his will.

Civil Suit Filed Against the Unification Church and the State in Japan as a Result of Deprogramming

In my article dated on Jan 25, 2011, I reported on a missing Unification Church member  (Ms. T.T.) believed to be kidnapped and confined for deprogramming purpose by her family members.

There was an interesting development in Ms T.T.'s case.  Ms T.T. is Taeko TANAKA according to an investigative reporter, Mr. Kazuhiro YONEMOTO.   

As a result of the forcible deprogramming, she withdrew herself from the church.  Taeko filed a lawsuit against the Unification Church and the central government, demanding compensation of 4,200,000 Yen (= US$ 525,000). 

Today's story is about Ms Taeko TANAKA and her lawsuit.  

CARP Student Fights for Religious Freedom at Court.

The Unification Church Website reports as follows;

A female university student and her parents filed a lawsuit with Saga District Court on May 17, 2012 against Saga University (President - Takao HOTOKEBUCHI) and an associate professor of Department of  Culture and Education, Yoshinori MORI, demanding 4,400,000Yen (US$50,000) for compensation of violation of religious freedom and slander caused by them.

 

The university student is a CARP member at Saga University and also a member of the Unification Church.  Her parents married in the Unification Church’s 6000 couples wedding ceremony.

According to the written complaint, Ms A. (22) was summoned to the associate professor Mori’s room on Feb. 10, 2012, and Mori repeatedly insulted her by disesteeming her faith, and she was relentlessly pressured to withdraw from both CARP and the Unification Church. 

Also the associate professor mentioned Ms. A’s parents marriage as “Brace of Animal”, and also mentioned her family life as “Animal’s Life”.

Ms. A and her parents have requested sincere apologies from the university and the associate professor.  As they rejected, they decided to take the case to the court.  (End of Translation)

NikkanSports.Com (Daily Sports Newspaper in Japan) reports:

Saga University says they will consider what to do when the written complaint arrives.(End of Translation)

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CARP(Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles) is a university based organization founded by Rev.Sun Myung Moon and Unification Church members.
Reference: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Unification_Church_affiliated_organizations
  

Saga is in Kyushu, which is an island located southwest of the main Island. 

Saga University
Contact Details:
Division: Public Relations Division
Phone / Fax: +81-952-28-8153 / 8921
E-mail: sagakoho@mail.admin.saga-u.ac.jp


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