The TM Report reveals how the Unification Church expected favors and ideological understanding from the Japanese politicians it developed relationships with.

It was not simply out of goodwill that the Unification Church supported Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers and built friendly relations with them — the church pressed these politicians to aid the former’s objectives and to understand its doctrine in the same way believers did.

The TM Report conveyed details to Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja regarding LDP lawmakers’ dedication to the church.

For example, one lawmaker was asked to improve media relations for the church, while another worked to ensure the success of a church event. And one lawmaker even underwent ideological training.

Unification Church asked Diet member for help renting Tokyo Dome

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked the Unification Church to support Japanese Diet member Tsuneo Kitamura get re-elected to the Diet’s upper house in a July 2019 election. Kitamura had previously worked as political section editor of the Sankei Shimbun newspaper and was first elected to the upper house in 2013. He currently serves as chair of the LDP’s “Task Force on Security and Land Legislation” under the party’s “Headquarters for Foreign Nationals Policy,” among other roles.

The Unification Church long aimed to gain a foothold with Abe and exert influence over him. To curry favor, it mobilized extensive resources to ensure the re-election of Kitamura, who ended up winning with 178,210 votes in his proportional representation district.

Three days after the election, on July 24, 2019, Kitamura visited Unification Church headquarters in Shoto, an upscale neighborhood in Shibuya, Tokyo. Unification Church President Eiji Tokuno wrote about Kitamura’s visit in a TM Report that day.

We received a direct request from Prime Minister Abe to campaign [for Kitamura] in this election, just as we did for the upper house election six years ago. Having been re-elected, Diet member Tsuneo Kitamura visited our Shoto Headquarters today to personally express his gratitude to myself and UPF [Universal Peace Federation Japan] head Kajikuri.

 

Diet member Kitamura has attended many of our past conferences and rallies, but this is his first visit to the Shoto Headquarters.

Tokuno also highlighted the fact that Abe himself expressed his gratitude through Koichi Hagiuda, acting secretary-general of the LDP.

Alongside Kitamura’s election result, 18 [actually 19] of the 33 LDP candidates running in proportional representation districts across the country were elected.

 

Among these, Kitamura finished in 11th [actually 13th] place, receiving approximately 180,000 votes. Although he unfortunately fell short of our target of 200,000 votes, he gained about 40,000 votes compared to the previous election, and he says he received high praise from LDP headquarters.

 

On July 22, the day after the election, we received a formal message of gratitude from Prime Minister Abe, conveyed through Diet member Hagiuda, the LDP’s acting secretary-general and who had served as intermediary and arranged four meetings between us and the prime minister. Apparently, Abe said he should be sure to convey his thanks to myself and UPF head Kajikuri.

Kitamura also expressed gratitude to Unification Church leader Han.

During his visit to Shoto Headquarters, Mrs. Kajikuri presented Kitamura with a bouquet to celebrate his election victory, and we took a commemorative photo all together.

 

We then spent about an hour reflecting on the election campaign, commending each other’s hard work. We enjoyed a very warm and joyful gathering.

First, Kitamura said, “Please convey my gratitude to leader Han Hak-ja.” Representing the Family Federation [for World Peace and Unification] at this event were myself, Vice President Lee Sung-man, Vice President Hori, and Vice President Tanaka. Also present were UPF head Kajikuri and Secretary-General Uotani, as well as Federation for World Peace Chairman Yokota and Secretary-General Matsumoto. Other attendees included Revival Bureau Deputy Director Osakabe, who made the most enthusiastic and numerous phone calls during this election, reaching out from headquarters to local church leaders and women’s group representatives.

The Unification Church made four requests of Kitamura following his successful election.

I expressed my appreciation and congratulations to Kitamura and made the following four requests.

 

First, I emphasized that from now on, he should serve as a liaison between the Abe administration and True Mother more than ever before. To that end, I stressed that he must serve as a bridge between the Family Federation and UPF Japan — as True Mother’s representatives — and the Abe administration.

 

Second, because Japan-South Korea relations have deteriorated significantly, I asked Kitamura to use his influence to advise Abe to mobilize various sectors — such as Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ministry of Defense — and do his utmost to improve Japan-South Korea relations.

 

Third, since Kitamura is, after all, a former political section editor at the Sankei Shimbun, one of Japan’s five major newspapers, in terms of our media relations I asked him to serve as a liaison between the media and the Family Federation.

Tokuno’s fourth request was that Kitamura negotiate the rental of Tokyo Dome. Although the Unification Church had previously held events there, Tokuno said it had become increasingly difficult to rent.

Fourth, I also asked Kitamura to use his connections with the media to negotiate for us to hold events at Tokyo Dome. Tokyo Dome is always fully booked, and unfortunately, the management there has recently taken a negative stance toward our Unification Group and isn’t really willing to rent the venue to us.

 

I asked Kitamura to act as a liaison to break this impasse, as we would like to host an event at Tokyo Dome in the near future for leader Han when she visits Japan.

 

Basically, for his part Kitamura is extremely pleased and grateful for this election victory. Since it is clear that he won thanks to our unified action, he has resolved to continue sharing a destiny with us. It is truly a wonderful connection.

Digital minister served as committee chair for Unification Church-affiliated event

Former Minister for Digital Transformation Takuya Hirai served as executive committee chair for an event called “Peace Road” held by an organization affiliated with the Unification Church, in his home prefecture of Kagawa. In the 2026 election, Hirai ran for re-election in the lower house in Kagawa’s 1st District.

The Peace Road event involves participants cycling across the country. Its website features the following promotional words:

“Centered on the vision of ‘One Family under God,’ we will realize friendship between Japan and South Korea and world peace by transcending race and national borders and uniting the entire world through the path of peace.”

The following is a TM Report by Kim Man-jin, director of the Unification Church’s 4th District, which includes the Japanese island of Shikoku (where Kagawa Prefecture is located), dated August 28, 2021. In it, Kim described Hirai’s role as executive committee chair as “very inspiring.”

Beloved True Mother,

 

The Eternal Jewel Marriage Registration and the 43 Family Realization Movement, which you blessed, have become a major driving force behind the restoration of the 4th District and the Japanese nation. The enthusiasm surrounding the Peace Road event these days is truly remarkable.

 

At the “Peace Road Japan 4th District Kagawa Launch Ceremony,” the participation of 71 Blessed Family politicians and district members was highly encouraging. In particular, the fact that Takuya Hirai, a well-known politician in Japan these days and Minister for Digital Transformation, served as Peace Road executive committee chairman for the 4th District and joined the event is very inspiring. It also serves as evidence that the peace movement for the firm establishment of True Mother’s new unification is rising.

 

When Hirai began serving as chairman for the event, the Okayama Prefectural Government (an institution similar to a provincial government in South Korea) officially decided to sponsor Peace Road. As a result, all National Diet members and mayors in Okayama Prefecture rode bicycles alongside our second-generation members, expressing their support for the Japan-Korea unification movement through the Peace Road event.

 

This event was covered in detail in the Okayama TV news, which devoted three minutes to the story. In particular, because Governor Hamada, who enjoys the full support of the citizens of Kagawa Prefecture, directly designated Peace Road as an organization supported by the prefectural government, all politicians in Kagawa Prefecture have officially joined our Peace Road activities.

 

As the saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” and people who support the significance of our activities are appearing everywhere and joining us.

An “ideological lecture” for Karen Makishima

The TM Report also recorded that the Unification Church conducted an “ideological lecture” for Karen Makishima, head of the LDP’s Youth Division.

Makishima was first elected in Kanagawa Prefecture’s 17th District in 2012. In September 2020, she was appointed director of the LDP Youth Division. She also ran in the lower house election held in early 2026, in Kanagawa’s 17th District.

The following is from a TM Report by Masayoshi Kajikuri, president of the International Federation for Victory over Communism (IFVC), dated October 24, 2020.

As I mentioned yesterday, this afternoon I gave a lecture on our ideology to Diet member Karen Makishima, a three-term member of the lower house who was recently appointed as the LDP’s Youth Division director.

 

LDP Youth Division director is a key position at party headquarters, known as a stepping stone to becoming prime minister. Acting on behalf of the secretary-general, the director travels extensively across the country, collaborating not only with youth chapters but also local organizations in various industries to gather input from a wide range of private-sector groups and incorporate it into national policy. This role allows the director to build a broad, nationwide network of contacts.

 

Makishima is set to become the first woman to serve as Youth Division director since the party was founded. She is a leading young female lawmaker with a promising future within the party.

 

Makishima also has deep knowledge of the United States, having spent her childhood in Georgia in the American South, and she graduated from university in Japan and completed a graduate program at George Washington University. During today’s lecture, as she listened to the message that Japan, the US, and South Korea are the key players in ushering in the era of the Pacific civilization, she nodded in agreement, deeply recognizing its importance, and seemed to begin understanding just how visionary and profound the True Parents’ ideology and movement really are.

Kajikuri said he gave Makishima a copy of Han Hak-ja’s autobiography, and he wrote that she took a keen interest in the fact that there were 20,000 student members of the Unification Church nationwide. In the following, YSP refers to “Youth and Students for Peace,” an affiliate of the Unification Church.

We were able to engage in meaningful conversation while chatting before and after the lecture, and I took the opportunity to introduce YSP Chairman Takeuchi [to Makishima] while presenting her with Mother’s autobiography. Makishima expressed great interest in the fact that our youth and student group has over 20,000 members nationwide, and she responded positively to Takeuchi’s suggestion that we work together effectively going forward.

 

What gave me the greatest sense of accomplishment during today’s lecture and discussion was seeing how, when she first entered the room, she had the expression and demeanor of a politician meeting with a mere supporter to hear their views, yet, as the lecture and discussion progressed, she gradually adopted the attitude of a student, beginning to show genuine respect for the True Parents and a sense of reverence for our senior believers who have dedicated themselves to serving the nation.

 

Although this is a very small step, I am convinced that educating each and every legislator in this way and building trusting relationships will lay the foundation for Blessed Families to be respected in Japanese society and for the church and the movement to gain acceptance. I will continue to devote myself to establishing the status and foundation of True Parents. Thank you.

(Korean–Japanese translation: Minju Kang)

Reporting on the “TM Report”

Regarding the TM Report, the Unification Church has refuted it, while the LDP has turned a blind eye.

On January 16, 2026, the Unification Church’s Public Relations Department of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification published “Our Organization’s View on the ‘TM Special Report’.”

Within their announcement, there is a report by a staff member who is said to have worked under Yun Young-ho, a former World Headquarters director who compiled the TM Report. It points out that the report is highly likely to contain deliberate omissions, alterations, and additions, concluding that it is “extremely lacking in credibility.” The report’s author remains anonymous, and no details regarding their position or role are disclosed.

It also states that, regarding the relationships with Japanese politicians described in the TM Report, “it cannot be ruled out that the expressions within the report go beyond the established facts, that the context has been embellished, or that the report includes content that cannot be verified as factual.”

From the Unification Church side, on January 8, 2026, former Chairman Eiji Tokuno also posted a statement on X. He acknowledged that “it is true that it includes a report I sent to the former World Headquarters Director to report to leader Han” while adding that “it also contains many personal opinions and wishful predictions.”

In September 2022, two months after the assassination of former LDP President Shinzo Abe, the LDP conducted an investigation into its ties with the Unification Church and concluded that “the party has no organisational relationship with the Church.” The investigation was severely inadequate, relying solely on self-reporting by lawmakers. Despite this, current party president Sanae Takaichi has shown absolutely no intention of evaluating the TM Report. On January 26, 2026, she appeared on TBS’s news23. When Akiko Oishi, co-chair of the Reiwa Shinsengumi, pointed out that Takaichi’s name appears in the TM Report, Takaichi called it a “document of unknown origin” and went so far as to say “that would amount to defamation”.

Tansa reviewed the entire 3,212-page Korean version of the TM Report.Making use of AI-based analysis, examining the document together with translators and our reporting partner, the Korean investigative journalism organization Newstapa.

Extensive research has been conducted on the Unification Church and a vast body of investigative findings has been accumulated by journalists and researchers, as well as by lawyers and religious scholars who have worked on victim support and countermeasures. Tansa respects the work of its predecessors and has utilised their findings to examine the TM Report.

As a result, we have determined that the TM Report is a crucial document in unraveling the longstanding codependency between the Unification Church and the LDP.

While continuing to report on the TM Report, we will pursue further investigation. If you have internal information regarding undisclosed ties between the Unification Church and the Liberal Democratic Party, we encourage you to contact Tansa. We will responsibly protect and keep confidential the identity of our sources.

For those wishing to provide information, please refer to the page. It contains details on contact methods, points to note, and key aspects of the Whistleblower Protection Act.

The Unification Church changed its name to the “Family Federation for World Peace and Unification” in 2015, and the media refers to it as the “Former Unification Church.” However, because there is continuity in the fundamental problems inherent to the Church, Tansa will refer to it as the “Unification Church.”

 

January 27, 2026

Tokyo Investigative Newsroom Tansa

 

(Originally published in Japanese on February 2, 2026. )

The True Mother Files: How a Cult Religion Infiltrated Japan's Ruling Party: All articles