Photo/Illutration Daishiro Yamagiwa, the state minister in charge of economic revitalization, speaks to reporters on Sept. 20. (Akiyoshi Abe)

The state minister in charge of economic revitalization has admitted to yet another Unification Church event he attended that his disclosure report to his own party failed to mention.

Daishiro Yamagiwa announced on Sept. 20 that he attended an event hosted by the group in 2018, which he said he only realized after it was pointed out to him.

He did not report his attendance at the event when the ruling Liberal Democratic Party conducted an internal survey of its members into church links earlier this month.

Yamagiwa said it came to light after someone showed him a photo that was posted on the church’s website showing him attending an event.

“I feel bad, frankly, that it turns out that I endorsed this group,” he said at a news conference.

He said his office typically only retains documents for up to a year before it shreds them and keeps as few as possible.

“I want to improve things that should be improved,” he said.

He also said he will “quickly respond” if more revelations come to light.

This is not the first time Yamagiwa has admitted to having additional encounters with the Unification Church, now formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, after the details were revealed by the news media.

Yamagiwa’s fund-management organization paid 10,000 yen ($70) in fees to the church-affiliated Ambassadors for Peace in 2013.

He attended a meeting apparently hosted by the group in 2018.

He also attended an international conference in 2016 held in Nepal, hosted by a group affiliated with the church, as well as a meeting held at a hotel in Tokyo hosted by a group affiliated with the church in 2019.

But he only admitted to these ties after they were reported.

LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi on Sept. 8 released the results of reports submitted by lawmakers regarding their links to the church.

Motegi insisted his report was accurate. But there have been further revelations since then.

Motegi on Sept. 20 said at a news conference that he will release an additional report when the opportunity arises.

Some members of the junior coalition partner, Komeito, have expressed frustration with how the LDP has handled the matter.

The LDP surveyed 379 politicians and found that 179 of them had ties to the church or its affiliated groups.

But some ministers, including Yamagiwa, admitted to further links afterward that had not been reported.

Public polls have shown that the Kishida administration’s approval ratings have decreased since then.

Motegi said on Sept. 20 that he has asked politicians to make additional reports when necessary.

But Seiichiro Murakami, a Lower House LDP member, has questioned the party’s decision not to include slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Lower House Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda in its internal investigation.

Murakami on Sept. 20 urged the party heads at a meeting to prepare measures to deal with the politically explosive revelations of party ties to the church.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Komeito, said at a news conference on Sept. 20 that the LDP survey did not satisfy the public and “doubts and frustration remain.”

Yamaguchi said that is one of the factors behind the Cabinet’s sinking approval rating.

(This article was written by Akiyoshi Abe and Kazuki Uechi.)

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