PM Kishida urges lawmakers to thoroughly explain ties with Unification Church

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged fellow Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers to thoroughly explain any ties with the religious group widely known as the Unification Church.

“It is important for politicians to carefully explain each of their relationships with a socially problematic group,” Kishida said regarding party and Cabinet members while answering questions from the press at the prime minister’s official residence on Sunday.

The religious group is now officially called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

It has recently come to light that people linked to the group had supported Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi’s election campaigns and had bought tickets for political fund-raising parties held by Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Shinsuke Suematsu.