A video shows Masahito Moriyama, the current education minister, attending a meeting of a group affiliated with the Unification Church. (Provided by a source)

Photo/Illutration The “Confirmation of Recommendations” document signed by Masahito Moriyama, current education minister (Provided by a source)

A photograph has emerged showing a de facto “policy pact” that education minister Masahito Moriyama signed with a group affiliated with the Unification Church before a national election.

The Asahi Shimbun obtained the photograph showing the document, which Moriyama has said that he does not recall signing.

The paper lists policies backed by the Unification Church, now called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

According to sources, the Federation for World Peace hosted a national policy briefing event for Moriyama in Kobe in October 2021, shortly before the official start of campaigning for the Lower House election.

About 60 followers of the Unification Church attended the event, where an official of the church-affiliated group handed Moriyama the “Confirmation of Recommendations” document, which he signed at the desk next to the podium.

After that, an affiliated group official handed Moriyama a letter of endorsement for the election.

The Asahi Shimbun obtained a photo of the signed document from a man in his 30s who attended the briefing event.

The man said that another attendee sent him the photo via the Line messaging app, and that he saved it in his computer at the time.

According to the photo, the Confirmation of Recommendations lists policies that the church supports, such as “revising the Constitution and strengthening the security system,” “working to enact the family education support law and the basic law for the sound development of youth,” “handling LGBT issues and the legalization of same-sex marriage with caution,” and “promoting the realization of the Japan-Korea undersea tunnel.”

It also reads, “In agreement with the purpose, I join the Heiwa Taishi Kyogikai (peace ambassador council) and Sekai Heiwa Giin Rengo (world peace legislator coalition),” both groups related to the church. The document is signed “Masahito Moriyama.”

According to sources, his signature on the Confirmation of Recommendations was a condition for the letter of endorsement. The church provided its support for the election on the pledge that Moriyama would work to implement the policies outlined in the document.

The Asahi Shimbun has also obtained a video taken at a meeting of a church-affiliated group that Moriyama attended in March 2022.

Moriyama has admitted to his attendance at the event.

According to the video and other sources, it was a general meeting of the peace ambassador council’s Hyogo prefectural branch, held in Kobe.

According to the group’s website, it is an adjunct organization of the Universal Peace Federation.

The UPF was established by Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, and his wife, Hak Ja Han Moon, the current leader of the religious organization.

At the beginning of the event, a video about an event held in February 2022 was played. The event was introduced as an UPF activity.

In a segment of the video, Hak gave a speech.

After the video was played, a moderator introduced guests, saying that they were “legislators serving as peace ambassadors.” Moriyama’s name was called first.

Moriyama then addressed the audience as a representative of the guests. He said, “I was very impressed” by the video and how an UPF event for the unification of the Korean Peninsula “was held splendidly.”

On March 6, when Moriyama was asked if his perception that he did not remember if he had signed the document remained the same, he told reporters, "No change."

Referring to The Asahi Shimbun's report about the new photo surfacing, Moriyama said, "I think (the church-affiliated) group is putting it out to shake things up a little bit."

(This article was written by Nobuya Sawa, senior staff writer, and Yosuke Takashima.)

Related News