The Unification Church has been enticing local politicians to attend events through the endorsement of a heavyweight in the Gifu prefectural branch of the Liberal Democratic Party and by providing support in elections.

The church's reach into local politics does not stop at the prefecture’s borders. Nearly 300 prefectural assembly members across Japan reported having ties with the organization or its affiliated groups, according to an Asahi Shimbun survey.

But the case in Gifu is illustrative. One LDP member of the prefectural assembly told The Asahi Shimbun that  he was lured by this high-ranking politician’s name into attending an event that was, unbeknownst to him, linked to the controversial religious group, now officially called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

His strange encounter with the organization started when his office received a curious invitation to a symposium this past spring.

The letter said the May symposium was titled “A path Japan should follow as the world destabilizes,” referenced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and stated that the chair of the executive committee for the event was an important figure in the ruling prefectural LDP: Kazuhiro Tamada, 79.

The middle-ranking assemblyman decided to attend as soon as he saw Tamada’s name.

About 100 people attended the event in Gifu. At the end of the session, the politician was asked to ascend the stage to be handed a framed letter appointing him as an “ambassador for peace” with the group.

He was told to accept it just before the symposium began by a member of the event's staff, a person he had never met before.

“I could not bring myself to ask the person, ‘What is this?’” he said. “So, I decided to go along with it, since I was told that no activity was required, despite the appointment.”

The assemblyman was upset, however, when he later learned from one of his colleagues that the event was linked to the Unification Church.

“I may be getting into hot water,” he thought.

He was aware the religious organization has long been accused of employing the tactic of “spiritual sales” to sell goods, such as selling pots at exorbitant prices by preying on the fears of followers and others.

But just a few months later, it would become a third rail in Japanese politics. The group was cast into the national spotlight shortly after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down in July. His suspected killer reportedly told investigators that his family was bankrupted by the excessive donations his mother made to the church.

The assemblyman conducted online research and learned that “ambassadors for peace” are appointed by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), an organization established by the church’s founder and his wife. The ambassadors are considered by the group to be leaders committed to building peace.

The top official of UPF Japan gave a lecture at the symposium, and the assemblyman posed for a photo with the official and other assembly members appointed as ambassadors for peace.

It then dawned on him that the event was jointly hosted by two organizations related to the church.

“My actions may have benefited the church,” he said. “I should have been more careful.”

But he was far from the only politician to have an experience like this.

The symposium was also held last year with Tamada serving as the chair of the executive committee. At least eight members of the assembly attended it last year and this year.

They cited Tamada as the main reason for attending the events.

“I felt reassured as Tamada was heading the symposium,” one said. “I did not want to offend him by not showing up,” said another.

Tamada, who was elected eight times and was a former speaker of the assembly, told The Asahi Shimbun, “I accepted to become the chair at the request from my supporters, and I also endorsed the aim of the symposiums.”

He said he was not aware of the organizations’ connections with the church when he accepted the position as chair.

Unification Church-linked entities are also adept at cultivating connections with local politicians by helping them in elections.

Hidemitsu Ito, a 71-year-old LDP member of the prefectural assembly, admitted that he received help from a woman from the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) Japan, a church affiliate, in the last two elections.

Ito, who has been elected five times, said the acquaintance brought several of her colleagues to promote Ito to voters over the phone.

“I was immensely grateful to them for helping my campaign as I did not have many staff members,” he said.

Ito became acquainted with the woman about 10 years ago when she visited his office to voice her opinion that sex education for children at school goes “too far.”

Ever since, he has been invited to attend events hosted by her group and came to view its activities positively after watching a speech contest where foreign students praised Japanese culture.

Ito also mentioned footage that introduced the Women’s Federation for World Peace International, a nongovernmental organization, as being associated with the United Nations. The group also promotes itself online as being in general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Ito said when the offer was made for him to become the chair of the regional chapter of the church-related Universal Peace Federation, he believed the group to be trustworthy because of that association.

“I was reassured by the fact that she is with an organization recognized by the United Nations,” he said. “Their activities were well-intentioned and I wanted to be of assistance.”

Some prefectural assemblymen attended events linked to the church after Ito apparently encouraged them to join him.

“I went just because Ito asked me and I wanted to help save face,” said one who was also handed an appointment letter to become an ambassador for peace. “I now feel like I was being used, as some people take the involvement of politicians in their activities as if they are endorsing them.”

Similar scenes have apparently played out across Japan.

The Asahi Shimbun conducted a survey between Aug. 18 and Sept. 2 to ask prefectural assembly members nationwide if they have attended events or had contacts with the church or its affiliates.

The survey found that 290 have, which is more than 10 percent of the total.

About 80 percent of them were LDP members.

By prefecture, Gifu had the most assembly members with links to the organization, at 41.3 percent. It was followed by Toyama, at 31.6 percent, and Tottori, at 23.5 percent.

Eight Tottori prefectural assembly members acknowledged their connections, seven of whom are relative rookies, serving in only their first or second terms.

“I started receiving invitations to attend their events and give lectures as soon as I was elected to the prefectural assembly,” one of them said. “I attended because I needed votes.”

Another assembly member echoed a similar view.

“Politicians who do not have a solid support base tend to rely on whatever is available to get elected,” he said.