Photo/Illutration The building in Tokyo housing the headquarters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The president of the Japanese branch of the Unification Church plans to apologize at a news conference to former followers and children of followers for hardship caused by large donations to the church, among other problems, sources said.

If Tomihiro Tanaka apologizes, it would be the first apology issued by the church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, since the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last year, which caused it to come under increased scrutiny and criticism.

However, it is believed that Tanaka will not admit the church’s legal responsibility for financial difficulties of former followers and children of followers, but will instead refer to the church’s supervisory responsibility for “inadequate guidance” to followers regarding donations and other issues.

Tanaka is expected to state that church followers’ inappropriate explanations about donations caused anxiety and that followers did not take into consideration the financial circumstances of donors, according to the sources.

The church is also considering entrusting the government with up to 10 billion yen ($66 million) to provide damage relief to victims.

The move is seen as an attempt to assuage concerns that the church may try to hide its assets after the education ministry filed a request with the Tokyo District Court in October for an order to dissolve the group.

The church, which is expected to fight the case, apparently hopes that this public apology and contribution of funds will give the church an advantage in the dissolution order court hearings, as well as prevent current followers from leaving.

The church said it will deal individually with former followers and other individuals who have submitted complaints against the church.

Sources said the church plans to offer to contribute 6 billion yen to 10 billion yen so that the government may use these funds to compensate those who would newly come up with claims against the church in the event that the dissolution order is successful and the church’s assets become unavailable.

However, it remains unclear in what form these proposed funds could be entrusted to the government or whether they would actually be used for compensation.

Moreover, if the request for a dissolution order is denied, the church plans to have those funds returned, the sources said.

At a news conference following the attack on Abe, Tanaka simply said, “To this day, we have given basic guidance on goods sales at companies run by followers and made thorough efforts to ensure that large amounts of donations out of proportion of (donors') properties are not made.”

Some church officials have said an apology could be taken as an admission of organizational involvement in the large amounts of donations and other damage and could lead to a dissolution order.

However, the church apparently began to consider apologizing and contributing funds because opinion polls have shown a high level of support for a dissolution order and because discussions are progressing on the protection of the church’s assets.

A group of lawyers working on damage relief has demanded about 4 billion yen in compensation for about 120 victims through collective negotiations with the church.

However, because the church has not admitted organizational involvement in donations and other damage, talks have not progressed.

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