Goto's statement to Tokyo District Court - Part 4 (Second Half)

Here is the Second half of  (4) in Second Confinement, which are highlighted blue in the index below.  In today's post, Mr. Toru Goto shows his fierce resistance in an attempt to escape from the confinement.

Original documents in Japanese are uploaded in the blog operated by the Association to Support Toru Goto's Court Case. The Association consists of 5 members from various background, mixture of current UC members(2) and non UC members(3).

The Association to Support Toru Goto's Court Case

http://antihogosettoku.blog111.fc2.com/

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

(4) Miyamura’s Deprogramming Work (Second Half)

Miyamura himself told the story how he became my counselor in the article titled “The Unification Church on the Ropes Struggles in Vain” in the Apr 2010 edition of a magazine called “Monthly Times” .

In that article, Miyamura was asked how he became my persuader.  Miyamura said, “Toru Goto and his family went to Niigata in 1995.  I don’t know anything about it.  His family members must have planned and carried out.  2 year later after that, Toru Goto’s father contacted me, and I met Toru Goto’s parents in Tokyo.   At that time, Goto’s father was suffering from liver cancer and he had only 3 months to live.  Toru Goto’s father said to me, “I can’t die like this.  Could you please talk to Toru?” I said to him. ”I will talk to Toru if he agrees.  After that, Toru Goto and his family members moved to Tokyo.”(Page 17).  Miyamura said, “I don’t know anything about the details of Toru Goto’s move to Niigata.”  But it is an outrageous comment.

At that time, my brother was an employee of Miyamura’s Tap Co Ltd.  On the night of Sep 11, 1995 when I was abducted at the parents’ home in Nishi-Tokyo City, a man hiding in the garden to help my captors was Tap’s employee, which I learned later.  Miyamura poured his efforts into his conversion work for many years, and he was involved with my brother and sister’s conversion.  I was the last person to be converted.   As my brother was working for Miyamura’s Tap(less than 10 employees), Miyamura must have known the plan.

Miyamura took over the task of my conversion from Matsunaga* who did not know what to do with me.  My family members who trusted Miyamura as a “reliable counselor” must have received Miyamura’s instructions.

(* Added by translator:  Matsunaga, a Christian minister, is a deprogrammer who worked on Toru Goto in Niigata prior to Goto’s transfer to Tokyo.)

In Feb or Mar , 1998, Matsunaga visited the room 804 of Ogikubo Flower Home.  Matsunaga came with Miyamura, and Matsunaga sat in front of me, and Miyamura sat behind Mastunaga but in a position that Miyamura could see me.   A Sense of tension and feeling of repulsion attacked me as Matsunaga showed up in front of me all of sudden.  It was as if I had an electric shock in my whole body.  I recalled the time in Niigata, when Matsunaga conducted the forcible conversion on me.

When I gingerly revealed to Matsunaga that my renouncement in Niigata was fake, Miyamura said, “Your confinement has been protracted as you did such a thing.”  Matsunaga  said to me, “I would like to split your head to see how your structure inside is,”  He used the expressions as if there was something wrong in my head, and he ridiculed me.

I recalled that Matsunaga talked about Miyamura a lot while I was confined in Niigata.  Matsunaga esteemed and trusted Miyamura.  Matsunaga said, “There’s no one who knows the Unification Church matters more than Mr. Miyamura.  All the information gathers at Miyamura. ”

Miyamura and Mastunaga often co-operated when conducting conversion work on UC members.  They co-operated when my brother’s wife received conversion from them.  So it seems that Miyamura and Matsunaga contacted each other for my 2^nd abduction and confinement.

As I didn’t accept Miyamura’s conversion, the number of his visits to the apartment was gradually reduced.  After Sep, 1998, he hardly came, and only his followers visited the apartment.  I counted how many times Miyamura visited the apartment by making a note on the book of the Divine Principle.  He came to the apartment 73 times in total in the period until Sep. 1998. 

Toru Goto when he was younger
-in the middle of the front row-.
The lady in the 2nd row - far right is also
a victim of deprogramming.

Also a lady who visited me with Miyamura was a former church member who belonged to a same department (2^nd row – far right in Pic).  It seems she was abducted by her family members and left the church after I was abducted.

 I was not allowed to get the information that I want to know in the confinement apartment.  I asked for “Koujien” (a famous Japanese Dictionary), but Miyamura flatly rejected it.  My brother said to me, “Actually the Bible and the Divine Principle are enough for you.”  Only information that is convenient to them was brought to me.

In May, 1999, a TV set was brought in the room even if I didn’t ask for it.  But I didn’t feel like to watch TV, so I hardly turned it on.

In Dec. 1999, I felt strong anxiety about the situation that I was left behind without knowing what was happening outside as years had already passed.  I demanded my family to bring “Gendai Yougo No Kiso Chishiki” (Basic Knowledge of Modern Language =  a large dictionary published yearly to explain current terminology and knowledge).  Their rejection caused a fierce argument between family members and myself.  I was so furious that I said, “I’m getting out of here.  I’m going to jump.”   I rushed to the window of the far back room, and the sliding door by the window was broken. 

My family members seemed daunted by my action.  In Jan 2000, they brought the ”Basic Knowledge of Modern Language”.  Around from this time, they provided “Sankei Shimbun” (a daily newspaper).  Afterwards, Sankei Shimbun was replaced by Tokyo Shimbun.  Then at around June 2006, they stopped providing Tokyo Shimbun.

I was isolated in the confinement room and was left behind from the outside world.  The more I learned what were happening outside via “Gendai Yougo no Kiso Chishiki” and “Sankei Shimbun” the more I became to feel extreme anxiety.  In Feb. 2001, feelings of uncontrollable anxiety that “I may have to remain isolated for the rest of my life and I may not be able to get out. ” haunted me.  I headed on to the front door and tried to escape.  Every time I was overpowered by my family members, I shouted “Get me out.  Help.  Call Police.”  I did it over and over again in loud voice with all my might, which could be heard by neighbors.  I risked my life to attempt to escape.

I condemned my family by saying, “You say the Unification church is violating human rights, but what you are doing ARE human rights violations.  The Unification Church never confines people like this.  This is a torture.  This is a witch hunt in modern days.  How many times did you rob my right to vote?  Do you think this kind of things will be tolerated?  I shall reveal your acts of barbarism.  I’ll take the matter to court.  You’ll be criminals.”

But I was held in a full nelson and pushed down by my brother, sister and mother.  They wrapped me by blanket and held their hands against my mouth, so neighbors could not overhear my scream for help.  I couldn’t breathe and I was almost choked.   As I had had no opportunity to exercise in the long confinement, I lost my muscles.   Even if I scuffled with my brother, my brother easily overpowered me.  Also my sister and mother had enormous power in such frantic situation as if they were possessed by something.   I couldn’t resist at all when these 3 people overpowered me.    

I was covered in blood by bleeding from my face, hands, legs and feet.  I had a mass of bruises and my clothes were torn apart.  The blood from my legs and feet dropped on the tatami floor, and I wiped it up with towels and even by my hands.  I had pain in my whole body at night, and I couldn’t sleep.  When I took a bath, I showed my body, full of bruises, to my brother, and intensely complained by saying “Look!  You are cruel.”  My brother didn’t care about my claim by replying, “Me, too.”  My annular finger of right hand was bent and hurt during the scuffle.  I had an acute pain.  It looks like the bone was fractured.  The pain lasted for 2 – 3 months.  The figure remains bent even now.

Furniture was also damaged during the scuffle.  I clung onto a metal pole in kitchen shelves or an accordion curtain between the rooms when trying not to be dragged by them.  As they pulled me forcefully, the metal pole was distorted and the accordion curtain was torn and damaged.

Around that time, my brother stayed in the room all the time and continued to monitor me.  When an opportunity arose, I moved to room B and tried to turn the knob of the door (door D) to attempt to escape.  The door could not be opened even if I turned the knob, or pushed or pulled.

At the time, my brother was in position C, and said, “People steal like bandits.”  It is clear that he meant  “It was good to lock the door D to prevent you from escaping.”  My family prevented me from reaching the front door by locking the door D in order to stop my escape.  This was done as a countermeasure of my actions.

I repeated fierce resistance for a month.  Miyamura visited the apartment once during my resistance.  He came in the first day when I actioned the resistance.  When I approached to the front door, my brother immediately caught me and signaled my sister with a wink by saying “Hey” to my sister.  She called Miyamura over a mobile phone.  Miyamura rushed to the apartment, and he saw me being pushed down on the floor by my brother.  Miyamura came in front of my head, and yelled “What the hell are you doing? Don’t’ mess around.”   He remained in the apartment for a while to observe the situation, and he left.

Miyamura came to the apartment immediately after my brother and sister contacted Miyamura on the mobile phone.  It is understood that there was an arrangement between my family and Miyamura.  It is evident that Miyamura was in the behind of my family for my forcible conversion and the confinement, and that Miyamura received the information from my family and my family acted based on Miyamura’s instructions.

One day, I stood up on the edge of the bathtub opened the ventilation hole and shouted, “Can someone hear me?  I’m confined here.  Please call police.”  It was when Miyamura came over to the apartment for the second time in my resistance.  It looked like my family informed Miyamura.  Miyamura came in the bathroom, grabbed my collar from behind and hauled me out of the bathroom, then dragged me to the room in the far back.  At that time as I held some electric appliances in an attempt not to be dragged, they all fell.  When I was taken to the room by force, I fiercely banged on the desk with my both fists in rage and yelled, “Stop fooling around.  That’s enough.  Get me out of here.”  Miyamura murmured, “This guy is useless.”  Then he left the apartment.

I started to suffer unspeakable sinking feeling and despair as all of my attempts to escape failed and the security of my confinement room became tighter.  I sometimes vaguely kept on looking at the light thrown from blurred windows with the metal wire embedded within, which prevented me from seeing outside.  It was too cruel and unbearable to accept the reality.  I was trembling in fear that I would lose myself and go mad in this situation.  At last, even my drive to resist was lost, and I was forced to be in a mental status that I had to give up the use of force in the escape plan.

On the other hand, around this time, videotapes, a headphone, a portable light stand, etc were brought in the room even if I didn’t demand.  My brother brought many books.  In order to escape from the unacceptable situation, I omnivorously read the books.  I started to watch TV as they brought a headphone.  I could temporarily forget the miserable reality, but my gloomy feeling never cleared up.

Since then until my first hunger strike in Apr 2004, my family hardly conducted conversion work on me.  Miyamura stopped visiting the room.  I suspect that they feared that I would take the case to court.  I learned after my release that Christian pastor Mamoru Takazawa who had a close relationship with Miyamura lost lawsuit in Apr 2000, which was 1 year before Miyamura stopped visiting the apartment.  In that lawsuit, a Unification Church member who was a victim of confinement and forcible conversion filed a lawsuit against the Christian pastor.

Even though he stopped coming to the room, he continued to confine me.  If Miyamura released me, he feared that I would file a complaint.  My family and Miyamura continued to confine me to keep my mouth shut so their criminal acts would not be revealed.   I condemned them by saying “I’ll take the matter to the court.  You’ll be criminals.”  My accusation must have pressured them.

Around this time I had an idea to throw a letter, and I tore one page from a notebook and wrote a message on it, “My name is Toru Goto.  I’m confined on upper floor of this apartment.  Anyone who sees this, please contact the Unification Church.  I’ll pay you a reward.”  I tried to carry out the plan.  But the reinforced glasses with metal wires inside were not easily broken.  Even if I could throw a letter from the window, if it went wrong, I didn’t know what kind of revenge I would receive from captors.

Therefore I could not help but to hesitate to carry out the plan.  I was overpowered every time when I approached to the front door.  I received lots of violence and I got injured.  Such incidents were recalled and the determination to carry out the plan wilted.  After wavering, I tore the paper and flushed in the toilet.  I was prostrated with despair and I used to think,  “I shall be determined to live here for the rest of my life.”     

On 12 Sep 2001, a man who was a Conversion Professional visited the apartment to conduct conversion work on me.  He said he saw me at my confinement in 1987. This man said he would come back the next day, but he never showed up.

Goto's statement to Tokyo District Court - Part 4 (First Half)

In Part 4, Mr. Toru Goto explains how Miyamura and his people treated him in the confinement room in Tokyo.I post the English translataion of the first half of  (4) 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

(4) Miyamura’s Deprogramming Work (First Half)

While I was confined in the apartment, they even didn’t tell me where the apartment was.  The transfer to another apartment was carried out at night, so it was difficult to identity where it was.  One time, I asked my brother where it was.  He refused to answer by saying, ”You don’t need it.”  I now know the names and addresses of the 3 apartments which I was confined because policemen and prosecutors informed me of such details after I lodged a criminal complaint against captors.  I learned that location of the Ogikubo Flower Home was at Ogikubo 3-Chome as I heard a voice over loudspeaker at the general election of the House of Representatives in 2003.  I heard the loudspeaker saying “Hello, people in Ogikubo 3-Chome.  This is Nobuaki Ishihara.”

When I was taken to Ogikubo Flower Home, I had no idea where it was.  As mentioned before, my brother was employed by Miyamura’s Tap Co Ltd* after he left the UC.  Also he was assisting Miyamura with his deprogramming work as a former UC member.  I vaguely believed that it was Ogikubo area and expected Miyamura would show up soon.  It recalled the suffering when I was confined at the Keio Plaza Hotel in 1987.  Miyamura even appeared in my dream and made me suffer.

(*Tap Co Ltd = the company Miyamura owned.)

As expected, from early Jan 1998 to Sep 1998, Miyamura accompanied former UC members and visited the room 804 and forced me to abandon my faith.  Miyamura stayed from 6pm to 8pm, and he visited the room almost daily at the beginning.  The accompanying were  <female> <female> <male, employee of Miyamura’s company> <a couple> <male> <female>.  The man who was employed by Miyamura’s company was hiding in the garden and assisted the captors with my abduction and confinement when I was taken to Niigata on Sep 11, 1995.

Total of 7 to 12 people consisting of Miyamara, family members, former UC members gathered at the far back room, and they flung words of criticism, defamation and abuse at me.  When Miyamura visited me in the room for the first time, he said, "Toru, it's been long time since then."  I said, "You come here unexpectedly all of sudden."  Miyamura replied, "If I don’t come in a hurry, you run away".  Miymura’s comment was as if he announced that he confined me.

When <female> visited the room 804, she sat cross-legged in impolite manner and was smoking.  She criticized me harshly for my last escape by saying, "You are a coward.  You ran away last time, didn't you?"  I got angry about the inhumane treatment, confinement and unbearable criminal act.  I fiercely protested to Miyamura who showed no sight of conscience by saying, "Get me out of here.  You say the Unification Church violates human rights, but the UC never abducts and detains people.  You are violating human rights.  What do you think of freedom of religion?"  

Miyamura said, "Don't bluster.  You are not qualified to claim your own human rights.  I'm not confining you.  Your family members are protecting you.  If you want to get out, tell your family.  You are not listening to people at all.  Use your brains.  Think well with your head."  He taunted me by saying, "Unless you become to think with your head, you can't get out."  Also he forced me to leave the church by threatening me, saying, "If my children don't leave the Unification Church, I will make a private prison and hold them until their faith is broken." Miyamura and <female> continue to insult me by using words such as idiot or stupid frequently.

Miyamura threatened me by saying, "If Sun Myung Moon is a Messiah and the Divine Principle is true, I commit seppuku*.  If Sun Myung Moon is fake and the Divine Principle is not true, are you ready to do hara-kiri*?"  Explain how the Divine Principle is true."  He criticized the Divine Principle which explains the church doctrine and the book of "God’s will and the World" which consists of Rev. Moon's speeches, then he taunted me by saying,"It's proof that you are still mind-controlled as you still believe in such things."
(*　seppuku = hara-kiri = suicide by disembowelment)   

Also Miyamura said that the founder of the church had sex relay called "Chiwake" at the early stage of the church”.  He said hearsay information without proof, "Why does Sun Myung Moon like women so much?  It is uncountable how many women he slept with."  He forced me to listen to him, which I didn't want to, and it caused me tremendous psychological suffering.

I said, "Then I go back to the church to investigate.  Let me get out of here."  Miyamura refused flatly, "No, you can't.  The Unification Church tells lies.  Even if you go back, you never find out truth."  I lamented that this apartment was a lawless area that was not covered by any law.  I was in an unjust environment in which my freedom was deprived by confinement.  My faith was fiercely criticized and it made me worn out.  But I couldn't get information freely which I wanted to get.

Miyamura picked up the incident of my father and accused me repeatedly by saying, "You killed your father.  Your father was killed by you.  What would you do?"  I was furious and replied to the unreasonable accusation by shouting, "You have to take me to the police if you think I killed him.  Take me now." 

The former UC members accompanied with Miyamura also got around to him and yelled at me.  A female former UC member suddenly picked up the teacup and poured the green tea on me.  My T-shirt got all wet.

Also my family members joined Miyamura’s forcible conversion work.  My brother stood up suddenly during the session and screamed at me, "What is your attitude?  I want to beat you within an inch of your life."  My younger sister threatened me, "You've got to be prepared to be like this for the rest of your life if you don't change."

After Miyamura left, my family members continued to condemn me until around 9pm.  My brother at one time slapped my face saying, "Why can’t you understand?  I make you awaken."

When I was doing stretching exercises to change mood and to avoid lack of movement, my brother's wife angrily said to me, "How come you can do such things in this situation?"  I wondered why she was so upset with such things and it disturbed me.

In this way, extreme difficult days under confinement continued by abusive words, yelling, violence and forcible conversion which were done by Miyamura & family members against my humanity.  I was exhausted mentally and physically at the end of the day.  When I imagined that same thing would continue the next day, feeling of despair attacked me as the sense of fear that I would be mentally deranged increased.

Miyamura and family members used to say to me, "You are not listening to me.  Think with your head."  I heard these words more than 100 times during the confinement.  I countercharged them after I listened to them.  I said to them, "I'm listening to you and thinking in my head."  They didn't accept my words replying, "No, you are not listening.  You are not thinking."

"Not Listening" in their context means "You don’t intend to accept our criticism on UC."  "Think with your head" means "Admit the wrongness of the faith in the UC."  "You won’t be released unless I accept their criticism on UC and abandon my faith."  This was their unchangeable claim.

My brother also often said to me, "I'm not telling you to quit the church.  As your family member, I can't leave you involved with such controversial church.  Therefore I want you to be in a neutral position and think with your head.  You have no time to think thoroughly if you are in the church.  If you still say the Divine Principle is true, you have an obligation to explain to us as the church has too many troubles."

I opposed him by saying, "It doesn't make sense to be neural to think while I'm forced to be in the confinement.  Japanese constitution guarantees the freedom of religion.  This is abduction, confinement and forcible conversion."  My brother replied, "This is not abduction, nor confinement.  This is an emergency protection shelter."  I said, "It's not true.  See what I do."  Then I tried to get out of the room.  I was caught by him, and I got into a scuffle with my brother.

"Look.  You don’t let me go out.  What is this if this is not confinement?  If you insist this is a protection, you are deceiving.  Even done by family members, this is abduction and confinement.  It is criminal.  You will be criminal if I file complaints.  I don't want you to become criminals.  You have to get me out of here."  My brother shouted, "Then, what kind of other option do we have.  Tell me."

Soon after Miyamura and his supporters started to visit the apartment, influenza spread like a wildfire.  Some of the family members including myself suffered influenza.  I had a fever of nearly  40 degrees C (104 degrees F), but they did not take me to a doctor.  I was given medication that was prescribed for my family who saw a doctor.  While I suffered from influenza, Miyamura did not come in fear of contracting the virus.  My brother said, "We have a short break."  As soon as I recovered from the influenza, Miyamura started to visit the apartment, and harsh and forcible conversion work resumed.  While I was struggling with high fever, I felt frustrated with not letting me see a doctor. I was frightened to imagine "If I become ill more seriously, they will not take me a doctor and I may die in worst case."

The deprogramming work after I was transferred to Ogikubo was done under the instruction of Miyamura.  I will explain it as follows.  A book titled "What parents must know," was published by Inochi No Kotaba Sha (= Word of Life Press Ministries) on Apr. 1, 1997.  On the following year (1998), I started to receive Miyamura’s deprogramming under confinement at Flower Home #804.  Miyamura contributed an article in the  book.  

Here is what Miyamura says in the book.

You have to know that your children are not the same children of old days though it's hard to admit it if you are parents.  The mind control which a destructive cult use is different from brain washing, and it's an advanced and sophisticated method.

More importantly, it's very dangerous for you to judge how much your children are affected by the mind control.  I'll mention this matter later, but you need to rely on counselors who have abundant experiences.   As a minimum standard, you better think that you can't handle the case if you feel "something different" in your children.

If you receive counseling from a reliable counselor at the first place, the issue would not escalate.  You may think lightly, for example "He would understand what we say."  "He'll quit if I talk."  "She will awake soon."  "My children wouldn't do such things."  But these attitudes may make the situation more serious.  If you think "It's still OK." in the common sense, it's "too late".

You take your children to a doctor when your children become sick or injured even though they are not so serious.  Are you trying to solve the problems all by yourselves while something awful is occurring in your children's mind?

Your first action to do is to look for your "rescue counselor" who you are going ask to rescue your children.  You need to see many counselors as many as possible, gather information and continue to research.  If you find a reliable counselor, you have to trust the person without worrying.  Your case will be solved if you prepare and act patiently without any hassles, without giving up.

According to Miyamura, Unification Church members are "mind-controlled", and it is "very dangerous" for family and relatives to judge the members' situation and it's the stage which is "more than the family members can do".  In order to solve it (to make children leave church), you have to find a "reliable counselor" and trust the counselor.  That’s the only way.

A "Reliable Counselor" means Miyamura himself.  My family asked Pastor Matsunaga in Niigata to convert me for the second abduction and confinement, though it is clear that Miyamura was involved as my brother and one of the *Tap's employees were part of the abduction team.  Pastor Matsunaga failed to convert me over the 2-year confinement.  Then my family asked Miyamura himself to deprogram me after my father's death. 

(*Tap is the company Miymura owned.)

-- To be continued to Second Half --

xxx

ICSA (Anti-Cult) Conference in Spain - Session "Deprogramming in Japan" held

ICSA anti-cult Conference is held in Barcelona, Spain (July 7 – 9, 2011).  Both pro-deprogramming (anti-UC) lawyers and victims of deprogramming practices in Japan will attend the conference.  

ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) is an academically oriented global network of anti-cult people.  Japanese victims of deprogramming have started to attend the conference since 2 years ago while Japanese anti-UC lawyers have been attending for many years.

According to Dan Fefferman’s report, Japanese victims approached the ICSA organizers at the last year’s conference.  Fefferman says “Mr. Uotani and Mr. Goto also met a number of the conference organizers and speakers. Notable among these were Dr. Michael Langone, president of ICSA, and Mr. Michael Kropveld, head of Infocult/Infosect--the American and Canadian co-sponsors of the conference. We proposed to hold a session on deprogramming in Japan during the next conference. They took our materials and agreed to consider the idea.”

ICSA responded to their suggestion, and a new session “Deprogramming in Japan” is held as follows;

__________________________________________
July 8, 2011    
11:00 – 12:30    Room 404

Deprogramming in Japan 　

Introduction to the Deprogramming Issue　　
Eileen Barker Ph.D., Moderator　　　　　　　　

‘Deprogramming’ in Japan: Fact or Fiction?　
Dan Fefferman, M. Div 　

Victim Testimonies
Toru Goto
Luke Higuchi

The Connection between ‘Lost Youth’ Compensation Cases and Forced Conversion in Japan
Shunsuke Uotani
-------------------------------------------

ICSA is an anti-cult organization, but it opposes deprogramming practice.  It says as follows in their website.

(Quote form ICSA website)
The actual process of a deprogramming, as we see it, differs a great deal from voluntary exit counseling. Some of the ideas about cults and brainwashing prevalent at the time contributed to that process. It was believed that the hold of the brainwashing over the cognitive processes of a cult member needed to be broken -- or "snapped" as some termed it -- by means that would shock or frighten the cultist into thinking again. For that reason in some cases cult leader's pictures were burned or there were highly confrontational interactions between deprogrammers and cultist. What was often sought was an emotional response to the information, the shock, the fear, and the confrontation. There are horror stories -- promoted most vehemently by the cults themselves -- about restraint, beatings, and even rape. And we have to admit that we have met former members who have related to us their deprogramming experience -- several of handcuffs, weapons wielded and sexual abuse. But thankfully, these are in the minority -- and in our minds, never justified. (end of quote)

Also I would like to introduce speakers of the sessions presented by pro-deprogramming (anti-UC) group.  A 1.5 hour session is held as follows.  The morning session in the same room is the“Deprogramming in Japan”session.

--------------------------------------------------
July 8, 2011
2:30 – 4:00　Room 404

How Japanese Government, Lawyers, Citizens and Victims Confront Controversial Groups, Especially the Unification Church
Masaki Kito, Esq., Takashi Yamaguch, Esq., Yukari Yamamoto, Eito Suzuki
--------------------------------------------------

This session is led by the anti UC lawyers' group in Japan, known as the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales.  Both Masaki Kito and Takashi Yamaguchi are lawyers.  They claim that such things (deprogramming practices - abduction, confinement, forcible de-conversion) do not exit, and Mr Toru Goto was voluntarily reclusive for 12 years.

Masaki Kito recently tweeted in twitter as follows;
“You are poisoned by the logic of the Unification Church.  It can’t become an international issue as there’s no such reality.  It’s a demagogue.” (tweeted at someone’s comment saying“you should discuss the (deprogramming) issue at the public place.”)

As the lawyers will be challenged “Fact or Fiction” by Dan Fefferman in the morning session, they need to say proudly what they think.

Another session is led by Yaya Nikkan Cult Shinbun (Almost Daily Cult Newspaper)

----------------------------------------
July 8, 2011
4:30 – 6:00 　Room 404
Twenty-Eight Years Experience Dealing with Sectarian Problems in Europe
Friedrich Griess

The Unique Attempt of the Online Specialty Journal “Yaya Nikkan Cult Shinbun” (Almost Daily Cult Newspaper)
Yoshiro Fujikura and Eito Suzuki

The Alpha Course and the New Apostolic Reformation with New Age Controversies and Cultic Concerns
David Clark
--------------------------------

Yaya Nikkan Cult Shimbun (Almost Daily Cult Newspaper) is an online media (a blog in blogspot) specialized in cultic issues.  Yoshihiro Fujikura is an editor in chief.  

In their blog article dated on Mar 26, 2011, they claimed that a freelance journalist Kazuhiro Yonemoto, who writes anti-deprogramming articles was not considered as an independent source of information by US Department of State. The cult paper intentionally misinterprets the International Religious Freedom Report written by US Department of State in order to reach the conclusion.

I (Yoshi, author of this blog) posted a report in my Japanese Blog titled “Intentional Loose Translation is Misinterpretation.”  The chief editor attacked me and my article as “muckheap” without any specific and logical rebuttal.  I wish he wouldn't do same thing at the international stage. 

In deprogramming issue, it looks like they(Yaya Nikkan Cult Shinbun) are behaving as spokesmen for the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales.   

Dan Fefferman mentions Eito Suzuki as follows in his report of last year’s ICSA conference.

Fefferman says; one presenter,“anti-cult activist” Eito Suzuki, mentioned our campaign against kidnapping and confinement. He expressed the opinion that the main reason for this activity is to distract people from the church's “illegal” behavior in fundraising and recruiting. He even showed a slide of our pamphlet with Mr. Goto’s picture on the front. At that point I interrupted to add that Mr. Goto was actually right there in the room. Mr. Suzuki then politely introduced Mr. Goto, which resulted in a lot of people speaking to him afterward. During the question period, I gave a brief rebuttal to Mr. Suzuki’s claim. "If you want to claim the moral high ground," I declared, "you need to speak out against kidnapping and confinement."

I would like to hear Eito Suzuki’s countercharge.

Dan Fefferman presents “Fact or Fiction”, and then victims speak.  If there are any human rights violations, journalists need to stand up to protect human rights.  If there are any un-social issues in the cult, journalist can also speak up. 

 

ICSA is an anti-cult organization, and it regards the Unification Church as cult.  But at the same time, ICSA opposes deprogramming practice.  I appreciate the ICSA’s decision to have both parties to present what they think at their international conference.  At the international conference, they (both parties) can’t hide, nor avoid questions which they don’t want to answer.  

ICSA attendee will judge who is telling truth.

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.
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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   


xxx

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 

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