#unification church in south korea

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

The Continued Consolidation of Hak Ja Han's New Theology

▲ Myeongdae Kim, a senior FFWPU leader in Korea

Myeongdae Kim's lecture "Mrs. Hak Ja Han, the Only-Begotten Daughter, and Substantial Holy Spirit" delivered at Whasun Church on November 27, 2022, has been spread around in the form of a video (though only audio of the lecture exists) recently by Hyun Jin (Preston) followers and Hyung Jin (Sanctuary) followers alike. Kim is the former National Leader of FFWPU Japan and the current Vice-President of the Committee of Elder Pastors in Korea.

In the video, Kim boldly states that Moon’s words were mostly false:

"Regarding Father's words, please listen to me carefully. If you do not understand this correctly, trouble may befall you. 95% of Father's words are not true."

Kim revealed that Han had been making clear among the highest leadership that Father had original sin, like his siblings, and that she was the one born without original sin. 

Since Jesus never found a wife, she was the First True Mother, a role long awaited for 2,000 years, and the one who would restore a man to be true father in order to create a true family and initiate the kingdom of heaven on earth. Kim says that Han chose Moon, and had many options, as there had been many leaders with messianic aspirations at that time. He said there were "dozens of people just like Father" and that Han watched them, and carefully chose Moon. It was through Han's wedding to Moon that he was engrafted into God's lineage. Han had made it very clear: God had prepared many. Moon was her choice. 

She also made it clear that Moon had failed his portion of responsibility. He failed to educate his children in the fact that their mother was the Only Begotten Daughter. In her eyes, because of this, and a series of his own failures, which she had previously referred to as his tail, the movement is now divided.  Apparently Han openly received negative feedback from some leaders who claim that the church will lose members over these teachings. Han is trying to be careful about how she is disclosing these doctrines, but last spring she made it clear that the church had a year to “cut the tail of Abonim.” The new theology is now being more rapidly and widely taught in FFWPU churches all over the world.

_____________________________________

Link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W331nx1cjdg

_____________________________________

Full transcript of the English of Myeongdae Kim’s short video

Sun Myung Moon visited Elder Na’s retreat and was chased away. Moon was exposed as a dangerous heretic.

韓鶴子総裁は「実体聖霊」元統一協会総会長の講義に衝撃

[divinum-pacis]

May 6, 2023: The Family Federation of World Peace and Unification, commonly known as the Unification Church, hosts a satellite Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main mass wedding event was held in South Korea. Hundreds of couples participated. (Photo by FFWPU USA/CC BY-ND)

[tenth-sentence]

Whatever the truth, Moon correctly assumed that South Korea would have a more lax attitude towards his beliefs, so he set up shop in the South and began writing down some pretty big ideas.

"Zealot: A Book About Cults" - Jo Thornely

[captain-price-unofficially]

The Unification Church (a Korea-based megacult church) provided Korean Leader Kim Il Sung with 450 billion Yen in 1991, supposedly with the intent of funding 'light industry', it was instead diverted to nuclear weapons development. Then in 2016 it was discovered by a South Korean governmental report that the church (via a proxy Japanese scrapping company) had sold NK a Golf-II class ballistic submarine with the missiles still onboard in 1994, massively boosting North Korea's missile program.

[zvaigzdelasas]

At least 334 out of 2,570 prefectural assembly members in Japan have had dealings with the Unification Church or its affiliates, with over 80% of them belonging to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, a Kyodo News survey has found.[...]

In the survey, 13 of 47 incumbent and incoming prefectural governors and nine out of 20 major city mayors also acknowledged dealings with the Unification Church or its affiliated groups.[...]

The response rate of the survey was around 94%, with 157 assembly members not providing answers.

The no-response rate among prefectural assembly members was the highest in Yamaguchi Prefecture, where Abe's constituency was located, with 11 out of 47 members not responding.[...]

The Unification Church [was] established by a staunch anti-communist [sic] in South Korea in 1954

& remember - this is self reported ties [5 Dec 22]

[spurgie-cousin]

The Unification Church is confusing. Is it a Korean cult? In some pictures, the crowds look mostly Korean, but in others, they look mostly white.

The Unification Church was founded in South Korea around the time of WWII, and spread pretty rapidly there and in neighboring places like Japan until the late 60s and 70s when it started to branch out to Russia, eastern Europe, South America and eventually the United States (esp in areas with big south Korean populations).

One of their big things is to "promote intercultural, interracial, and international cooperation through the Unification world view" which sounds innocent enough, but it's just a PC way to say that they put a big focus on finding people to convert. Once they find someone who they deem convertible (preferably of a different race compared to the majority members of the church) they pull a "Married at First Sight" and marry then to a random church member, in a huge ceremony with tons of other couples, where they basically get married and converted officially at the same time.

So that's why sometimes you see large homogeneous looking congregations with only a small bit of diversity, or vice versa, because diversity is the main thing they're looking for when looking for converts and some church are better at it than others lol.

[whatevergreen]

Drummer magazine 21, 1977 - Robert Opel

The moonies aka unification church is a homophobic and racist movement founded in South Korea in 1956. It recently returned to wider public awareness with the 2022 assassination of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe who had ties to this cult.

[jakethesequel]

Things on my mind today because school research:

(Tldr: The Japanese government is dominated by a single party founded and maintained by a semi-secret society of fascists, former war criminals, ultranationalists, yakuza, cultists, and billionaires; brought together by CIA anti-communism efforts.)

Japan has had one political party in power almost continuously since 1955, only stepping down for a total 4 non-consective years: the broadly conservative Liberal Democratic Party

The LDP was formed by a merger between the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party. Instrumental in this was politician Nobusuke Kishi, a Democratic Party official formerly high up in the Liberal Party. He would represent the LDP as Japan's Prime Minister from 1957-1960

Previously, Mr. Kishi had been a minister in the government of Imperial Japan, considered a protégé of General Tōjō. Post-war he was imprisoned by the Allied Forces under charges of "class A" war crimes for being a major planner of the Japanese war effort. Other fascists held in the same cell were ultranationalist yakuza boss Yoshio Kodama, anti-communist millionaire and billionaire-to-be Ryōichi Sasakawa, and former Yomiuri Shinbun (Japan's preeminent conservative newspaper) owner Matsurarō Shōriki. The bonds they formed in Sugamo prison would become a lifelong secret society influencing Japanese politics.

All four were released from prison without ever facing trial for their war crimes charges. Why? The CIA was very concerned about communist influence in East Asia, and figured letting a handful of fascists go free would give them a very useful tool to suppress socialist movements in Japan.

Mr. Shōriki went on to found Japan's first commercial television broadcaster, Nippon TV. A few years later he became the first chairman of Prime Minister Kishi's new Japanese Atomic Energy Commission. Declassified documents have revealed that he did both those things because the CIA suggested that Japan should have a pro-US TV channel across the nation, and wanted to bring Japan into the sphere of influence of US nuclear technology

Mr. Kodama again became a leader in Japanese organized crime, bringing together a coalition of ultranationalist paramilitaries and yakuza families all committed to a shared right-wing ideology. With his thugs he broke strikes, beat protestors, threatened journalists, managed bribes, and laundered a ton of money, all in service of the LDP and the CIA. At least, until 1976, where he was publicly outed as the main facilitator for Lockheed Martin bribing its way into major Japanese government contracts to the tune of millions of dollars.

Mr. Sasakawa got mega rich off of rebuilding Japan's wartorn infrastructure and establishing a gambling industry. He called himself "the world's richest fascist." He funneled his profits into international political interest groups, like the World Anti-Communist League he founded with his buddies Syngman Rhee of South Korea and Chiang Kai-Shek of Taiwan.

Mr. Sasakawa's activist groups attracted the attention of Korean cult leader Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church. The UC's eccentric adaptation of Christianity has a very political theology, and before anything else it's devoutly anti-communist. Mr. Sasakawa became a major financial supporter of the Church, and helped establish its presence in Japan. He connected Mr. Moon with Mr. Kishi, bringing him into the extended Sugamo circle.

Even after his reign as PM, Mr. Kishi remained a central figure in LDP decision-making. He and Mr. Sasakawa developed close ties between the cult and the LDP, and made sure they were regularly maintained. The LDP used Moonies as unpaid campaign assistants, and in exchange Japan became the primary source of the UC's financial support. The UC helped the LDP spread, and the LDP helped the UC spread, growing both.

When Mr. Sasakawa died, his son-in-law Shintarō Abe became the main ambassador of the UC-LDP alliance, which was stronger than ever. When Shintarō Abe died, his son Shinzō Abe (Mr. Kishi's grandson) took over managing UC-LDP affairs. The younger Mr. Abe became the LDP's Prime Minister of Japan from 2007-2008, had a second term from 2012-2020, and faced the consequences of his actions in 2022

Ps: If I've said anything incorrect or unsupported here do let me know, I'm working on an essay.

[whatisonthemoon]

Early Interaction Between Moonies and MRA

Bio of Kang Sun-ae from FFWPU: Mrs. Kang Sun-ae was born in Seoul in 1915. She graduated from Ewha College in 1937. She lived during a time when the role and value of women were changing in Korea. She had married and had children before she joined our church in 1958, without her husband. This is a testimony that evokes the Korea of a past time, and as such is a study of some of the values and sacrifices that characterized the spirit of the early period of our movement [The following is written by Mrs. Kang on an early experience in the Unification Church]

After the tour, I went back to the headquarters church. I had planned to finally take time to recuperate and begin taking medication, but Mrs. Ji Seng-ryeon came to look for me again. Once again, I had to visit our Gangwon District. We both paid a visit to the governor of Gangwon Province together with Mrs. Choi Jeong-sun. After receiving the governor’s permission to give a lecture to the officers of the Gangwon provincial government, we invited Choi Chang-rim to give the lecture. The lecture received a great review, enabling us to give a lecture to even the public officers working in the city of Chuncheon. On this foundation, our activities developed by the day and we could convey our message to the chairman of the Promotion of Reconstruction Committee,[2] the director of the YMCA, pastors, universities and even broadcasting companies. We even visited the Army Second Corps, but could not meet the commander. So we went all the way to the Counterintelligence Division and asked to talk to the general in charge. An officer reprimanded us saying, “Do you know what this place is?” We had lunch at a cafeteria for army officers. We also talked with the adviser on the troop information and education and the director of a broadcasting station.

Once, a Moral Re-Armament (MRA) movement leader paid a visit to Gangwon and invited religious figures under the name of the provincial governor. I remember being the only woman invited.

After the governor’s skilled greetings and personal introductions, we listened to the motive and purpose of MRA. After the presentation, the governor then said, “I would like to welcome Mrs. Kang, being the only woman here today, to say a few words” and made me stand. I tried to press down my beating heart and thought, “This is the moment I should convey Father’s teachings.” I started by saying, “There cannot be a result without a cause. Hence, we can see a cause through its result.” All the participants on that day, including the governor, appeared quite surprised by my message. Many said they had difficulties comprehending such a highly philosophical lecture.

Since that event, the chairman of the Promotion of Reconstruction Committee always comes to our church and give words of encouragement whenever the community leaders’ meeting was held. The entire Chuncheon area, starting from the governor to those working in the local government felt like members. However, I aimed for more, thinking, “How can I make all the people of Gangwon listen to the lecture?” So, I made another request to Governor Pak. According to him, the Home Affairs director, the Public Affairs chief, and the local section chief had to all agree on my proposal. He suggested that I meet them. I went to their offices at the provincial government building almost every day. With a heart that I had to accomplish this before Father returned to Korea from his world tour, all the prayers and dedications I invested paid off and I ended up persuading all those who opposed us.

One day, a local official, Lee Seok-bong, and I urged the Home Affairs senior director with earnest hearts. He gave in with a smile, saying, “No matter how hard I try, Mrs. Kang’s enthusiasm just outmatches mine.”

The next day, I met the local section chief and he quietly revealed to me about an internal problem and told me to talk with the chief secretary. Soon afterward, I went to the chief secretary. The chief secretary reported the matter to the governor and once he came back, he instantly summoned the Home Affairs director and the local section chief and told them right in front of me, “Why are you opposing what people are doing? Tell everyone that if they don’t do it, it will be the same as committing hara-kiri.” He instructed that an official notice be sent immediately. I met the Public Affairs chief and raised my two hands up saying “I am a Unification Church member” and then put them down. He told me that I looked like an innocent child when I did that. I was certain that our pleas were conveyed to Heaven and that it was God who was helping us.

A few hours after this decision was passed, a dam collapsed, flooding the surrounding area. The flooding caused many problems. However, because the provincial government office had immediately written the official notification, it was conveyed to the church. God’s work and providence could have almost gone up in the air in one second. This enabled the community leaders to act as Victory Over Communism lecturers.

https://familyfedihq.org/2023/02/the-righteous-are-as-bold-as-a-lion-part-5/

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

More information at the link in Korean here:  http://m.churchheresy.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1309

Edited machine translation which will have errors.

Home News Interview

Abandoned ‘Unification Church’ churches neglected as monstrosities everywhere… [Meanwhile Hak Ja Han] the religious leader is building a ‘royal palace’

Article approval 2023.04.12 18:20:46

–▶ Japanese wives who were followers came to Korea… The life path that is hard to turn back, even showing tears

▲ Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Geumgwa Family Church

There are abandoned and neglected churches of the Heavenly Parent Holy Church and the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (aka Unification Church) in the metropolitan area and other parts of the province.

Somewhere in the province, an abandoned Unification Church church is located in the middle of the road in front of the village, raising the eyebrows of passers-by. Residents were dissatisfied with the hideous abandoned houses. There, Unification Church books, photos, and household items have been left unattended for over 20 years, full of dust, and grass is overgrown in the front yard. The red symbol of the Unification Church in the shape of the Japanese flag is displayed high on the façade. When strangers come and visit, residents think they are here to buy the empty building and welcome it. The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Geumgwa Family Church, located in Sunchang, North Jeolla Province, has been abandoned for 20 years.

▲ The signboard of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Geumgwa Family Church

Writer: Since when did this place become a wasteland? Resident A: It's been 20 years. The building is old, so the floor and the hall are all collapsing. Writer: Were there many people in the past? Resident A: A lot. He used to be the richest man in town. However, the man (the Unification Church pastor) left the house, and his sons and 7 brothers all died, and his wife also died, and it has been more than 20 years since anyone is here. Writer: It doesn't look good if you leave it like that. Resident A: It's scary in the evening. (The windows and doors are all torn and tattered, and I left the door open for those who come to buy it, but there are bookshelves and household items inside, but there is a lot of dust.) Resident B: In the past, many Japanese wives lived in every neighborhood. We had a mass wedding 20 to 30 years ago, and now the children are young adults in their 20s and 30s. There are more Japanese wives in Sunchang-myeon. The Ganggyeong Unification Church Family Church in Hwangsan-ri, Ganggyeong-eup, Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province has been empty for 30 years. The church was built here in 1980, but the second generation is in a working a short distance, but the church is not functioning.

▲ Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Ganggyeong Family Church… Not in operation

Author: Since when has it been empty? Village Mayor: It's been about 30 years. There are no Unification Church members. Writer: Who knows about it? Village head: The Unification Church Foundation is big… The people who used to attend here went elsewhere and haven't come back since. There are places like this that have been neglected for decades in Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the buildings of the Unification Church were built in a triangular style in the shape of a capital letter A in English (A frame). In the late 1970s and early 1980s, about 30 locations nationwide (Seongnam, Daejeon, Seocheon, Seosan, Taean, Geumsan, Nonsan, Ganggyeong, Yeongdong, Eumseong, Chungcheongbuk-do), Jeonnam Hwasun, Gokseong, Jeonbuk Imsil, Namwon, Geumgwa, Jeokseong, Gangwon Gangneung, Hoengseong, Sokcho, Donghae, Gyeongnam Geoje, Jinhae, Goseong, Geochang, Gyeongbuk Gyeongsan, Yeongju, Uljin, Yeongcheon, Gimcheon, Andong… etc. ) were built in the same shape. While promoting anti-communism with the support of the government, the church expanded throughout the country. Among the members, there were cases where believers died of old age and left the churches which fell into disrepair due to the second generation giving up their faith, and also there are empty buildings when congregations merged with other locations. A church located in Gyeonggi-do used to be active with a signboard that read, “Marriage Counseling Center.” There, men met Japanese wives who were followers who came to Korea through the mass weddings.

▲ Japanese wives who came to Korea 30 years ago through mass wedding ceremonies

Writer: How difficult was it to live in Korea? How long since you have you been in Japan? (As soon as we sat facing each other, she wiped away tears. It seems like she had a lot of sorrow. She kept crying during the conversation.) Japanese believer 1: It's been about 30 years. I came here when I was young. Writer: Were you both young when you came here? Japanese believers 1 and 2: Hahaha, yeah Writer: Did you two come here after a mass wedding? Japanese believer 1: Yes. It was very difficult at first. The culture is different, we don't communicate, but now the kids are all grown up. Writer: How many Unification Church members are there in Korea? Japanese believer 1: About 20,000. Japan has more. Writer: (Unification Church) Is that enough, including company employees and school students? Japanese believer 1: Yes, that's about it. Writer: The triangular shape [A frame] of the building is unique. Japanese believer 1: In the 1970s, many of these buildings were built in the same way throughout the country. Writer: Wasn't it difficult to live in Korea? Japanese believer 1: It was very difficult. I have overcome through my faith. Because I came despite the opposition of my Japanese family, it was difficult to go back even if it was difficult. I was told to come, but since I have another family here, I couldn't go. I would have gone alone. Writer: How old are you? Japanese believer 1: I was born in 1964. Writer: How many Japanese people are here? Japanese believer 1: There are about 25 of them. So, if you have any difficulties, you talk to them. Writer: It is possible to live well in Japan, but it is not easy to come to a foreign country and live like this because of your faith. Was it worth risking and dedicating your life to this? Japanese student 1: I didn't know it would be this hard. If I knew it would be this hard, I wouldn't have come. But it will work out. I have overcome by faith. It really wasn't easy. Writer: Have you ever been confused? Japanese believer 1: (After the death of Sun Myung Moon) There were times when I was very confused. Been doing it for over 30 years. Now, even if I go to Japan, I have nowhere to go, and at this age, I go to Japan and do something. I would have gone if I had been alone, but I have another family here. If it's because of my faith, I can do it even when I go to Japan… Married life wasn't easy either. Without faith, it would have been difficult to overcome. Writer: Don't you look back once in a while? Whether this is the right path or not. Japanese believer 1: I even looked back once, of course. What am I doing like this, wondering if I'm really okay… It's been 30 years since I came to Korea through a Unification Church mass wedding ceremony. It's really not that simple to risk your life on one faith and come to another country. I've been through a lot of confusion. But, it's bleak and sad. Religion makes life like this too.

▲ Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Jeokseong Family Church… Not in operation

▲ Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Gokseong Family Church… in operation

The Unification Church once had a membership of up to 300,000, but in the early 2000s, 430 churches across the country were merged into about 200 by city, county, and district.

Since then, as church power has weakened, the number of vacant churches is increasing, and it seems that there are less than 30 churches nationwide that are currently operating properly. In the midst of this, Hak Ja Han is building Cheonwon Palace (Cheonji Seonhak) in Songsan-ri, Seorak-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, in order to record her own life story. The peace movement and vision of Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han are called exhibition halls and museums. Until the day before completion, it advertises that each family should make a special donation of 1 million won.

The area has already become a Unification Church complex, but building another royal palace seems like a bluff or a trick to collect offerings. I feel sorry for the believers who have been used like that throughout their lives. I hope you can discern so that the damage does not continue any longer.

Oh Myeong-ok omyk7789@daum.net

[Some official UC sources revealed there were never more than about 16,000 members in Korea. PR around the time of Sun Myung Moon's so-called Autobiography increased interest in the UC. However, the publisher was later jailed for fraud over the number of books sold and related manipulations. The UC was always reviled by all the major denominations in Korea. Moon's pikareum sex rituals were well known in Korea.]

related articles:

Disclosure of the list of politicians who testify to the ‘Unification Church’… The victims are still ‘proof of filial piety’

Unification Church’s face madness, ‘Chairman of Jeunggyeong General Assembly’… ‘Unification Church Collaborator’ Pastor Lee Jong-taek

“Women need to be beaten by men”… The ‘Unification Church’ True Family Movement that encourages domestic violence

Japan enforces the ‘Unification Church Victims Relief Act’… Expecting effectiveness in relieving and preventing damage from malicious and large donations

Unification Church encourages members to join the ‘People’s Power’ party… “The number of people needs to be filled”

“The Unification Church faith cannot be inherited unconditionally by the second generation”… Japan expands application of the Unification Church Victim Relief Act

68-year-old 'Unification Church', unfinished 'Doctrinal Controversy'… Is it Sun Myung Moon? Is it Hak Ja Han?

‘Unification Church’ Hak Ja Han, Gambling at ‘Casino’ in Las Vegas, USA… Noisy in Japan

Cohesion between Gapyeong-gun and ‘Unification Church’… until establishment of ‘Pyeonghwa-ro’ as an honorary road

At the current Unification Church training center, “They say they are chasing out Satan, and they are beaten up for money.”

How much to solve ancestor resentment, how much to remove evil spirits… ‘Unification Church’, offer it over and over again!

The Unification Church, it will be difficult to maintain the status quo… Pastor from the 7th South side speaks passionately for 30 minutes during the phone call

The Unification Church is still ‘forced to donate’… Demands a large amount of construction funds from believers around the world

The property taken by the 3rd son of the Unification Church, for how long?

“I got married from Japan”… The lives of female believers whose lives are held hostage by the Unification Church faith

Unification Church Sun Myung Moon’s self-proclaimed Second Coming Lord ‘euthanasia’ case… not guilty of defamation

Regarding the Unification Church incident, an interview with Religion and Truth reporter Oh Myung-ok on Yomiuri TV and TBS in Japan

The Unification Church sells the Yongsan World Headquarters Church!… after profiting 100 billion won in real estate

8,000 couples at a Unification Church mass wedding ceremony? The numbers are inflated

_____________________________________

Sun Myung Moon found guilty in 1955; started two year jail sentence

Why did a Japanese Moon church member kill her Korean husband?

Japanese woman recruited by the Moon church and sold to a Korean farmer

Japanese member, Ms. U, was married to a Korean man who beat her

Japanese member, Ms. K, was forced to marry Korean man she did not like

Atsuko Kumon Hong “suicide / murder” at Cheongpyeong 2013

6,500 Japanese women missing from Moon mass weddings

“Apology marriages” made by Japanese UC members to Korean men

Suicide of Japanese ‘Moon money mule’ in Uruguay. Mother of three children

Moon’s theology for his pikareum sex rituals with all the 36 wives

Pak Chung-hwa interviewed about Moon’s “SEX relays”

Shamanism is at the heart of Sun Myung Moon’s church

Sun Myung Moon – Emperor, and God

The Moons’ God is not the God of Judeo-Christianity

How “God’s Day” was established by Sun Myung Moon in 1968

The Moon church is unequivocally not Christian

Sun Myung Moon’s theology used to control members

Ewha Womans University sex scandal as told in the 1955 newspapers

[playitagin]

2022-Shinzo Abe

Shinzo Abe (/ˈʃɪnzoʊ ˈɑːbeɪ/SHIN-zoh AH-bay; Japanese: 安倍 晋三, Hepburn: Abe Shinzō, IPA: [abe ɕindzoː]; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history, serving for almost nine years in total. Abe also served as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 2005 to 2006 under Junichiro Koizumi and was briefly the opposition leader in 2012.

Abe was a staunch conservative whom political commentators had described as a right-wing Japanese nationalist. Associated with the Nippon Kaigi, he held negationist views on Japanese history, including denying the role of government coercion in the recruitment of comfort women during World War II, a position which caused tensions particularly with South Korea. Under his premiership, relations further strained in 2019 over disputes about reparations. Earlier that same year, Abe's government initiated a trade dispute with South Korea after the South Korean Supreme Court ruled that reparations be made by Japanese companies who had benefited from forced labor. Abe was considered a hard-liner with respect to Japan's military policies.

In 2007, he initiated the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue during his first tenure as prime minister, aimed at resisting China's rise as a superpower. He advocated for amending Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution to legally codify the status of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), however this was never achieved during his lifetime. He enacted military reforms in 2015 that allowed Japan to exercise collective security by allowing JSDF deployments overseas, the passage of which was controversial and met with protests. Economically, Abe attempted to counter Japan's economic stagnation with "Abenomics", with mixed results. He was also credited with reinstating the Trans-Pacific Partnership with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Abe was assassinated on 8 July 2022 while delivering a campaign speech in Nara two days before the 10 July upper house elections. The suspect, who was immediately arrested by police, confessed to targeting the former prime minister because of Abe's alleged ties with the Unification Church. This was the first assassination of a former Japanese prime minister since 1936. A polarizing figure in Japanese politics, Abe was described by his supporters as having worked to strengthen Japan's security and international stature, while his opponents described his nationalistic policies and negationist views on history as threatening Japanese pacifism and damaging relations with East Asian neighbors China and South Korea. Commentators have said that his legacy pushed Japan towards more proactive military spending, security, and economic policies.

[derrickwildsun]

The assassination of Shinzo Abe has been on my mind for the past few months for a number of reasons, but chief among them is how it revealed that the Liberal Democratic Party, the de facto ruling party of Japan, had been taking marching orders from the Unification Church (a cult that originated in South Korea). I can’t stress enough that the LDP is a nationalistic conservative party that has appealed to xenophobia towards non-native Japanese, especially immigrants/citizens of Korean descent. They’ve also gone to great lengths to deny Japan’s war crimes during World War II, including the way the Imperial Japanese military forced Korean woman to be “comfort women” (read: sex slaves) for Japanese soldiers. To contextualize this for Americans, this would be like learning that America’s Republican Party has secretly been taking orders from the Taliban despite popularizing and spreading Islamophobia for the last few decades.

[brookston]

Holidays 2.10

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Rosston (Declared; 2007) [unrecognized]

Unification of Upper and Lower Canada (1841)

New Year’s Days

Kebbawa New Year & Beginning of Fishing Season (Kebbawa People of Nigeria)

New Year's Day  [Lunar Calendar] (a.k.a. …

Bituun (Mongolia)

Chinese New Year [2024: Year of the Dragon]

Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Yin Black Water Rabbit

Fete du Printemps (Mauritius)

Losar/Loshar (India, Nepal)

Lunar New Year’s Day (Hong Kong)

Novo Ano Lunar (Macau)

Seol-Nal (South Korea)

Sonam Lhosar (Tamang New Year)

Sonam Lochhar (Sikkam, India)

Spring Festival (China)

Tahun Baru Imlek (Indonesia)

Tamang New Year (Nepal)

Tet Nguyen Dan (Vietnam)

Tsagaan Sar (Mongolia) [2023: Year of the Rabbit]

Tet Holiday begins (Vietnam) [thru 26th]

Festivals Beginning February 10, 2024

Carnaval de Barranquilla (Barranquilla, Colombia) [4 Days before Ash Wednesday; thru 2.13]

Carnival of Aalst (Aalst, Belgium) [thru 2.13]

Carnival of Binche (Binche, Belgium) [thru 2.13]

Carnival of Maastricht (Maastricht, Netherlands) [thru 2.13]

Death by Chocolate (Appleton, Wisconsin)

Fastelavn (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-Off (Manitou Springs, Colorado)

Palm Beach Marine Flea Market & Seafood Festival (West Palm Beach, Florida) [thru 2.11]

Paris Carnival (Paris, France)

Sábado de Carnaval (Argentina; Brazil) [thru 2.13]

Wine Love Trail (Sonoma County, California)

Feast Days

Anabita’s Day (Pagan)

Apelles (Positivist; Saint)

Apple Wish Spell Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Ary Scheffer (Artology)

Austrebertha (Christian; Saint)

Bertolt Brecht (Writerism)

Bisexual Anxiety Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Boris Pasternak (Writerism)

Charalambos (Christian; Saint)

Day of Anaitis (Persian Goddess of the Moon and the Seas)

E.L. Konigsburg (Writerism)

Erlulph of Scotland (Christian; Saint)

Faeries Creation Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Feast of St. Paul's Shipwreck (Malta)

Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy (Artology)

José Sánchez del Río (Christian; Saint)

Marilyn Monroe Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Mr. Holiday (Muppetism)

Nicolas Taunay (Artology)

Paradoxically Non-Paradoxical Day (a.k.a. Paradox Day; Pastafarian)

Scholastica (Christian; Saint)

Soteris (Christian; Martyr)

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Trumwin (Christian; Saint)

William of Maleval (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 41 [13 of 72]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Tycho Brahe Lucky Day (Scandinavia) [3 of 4]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [10 of 60]

Premieres

Alice at the Carnival (Disney Cartoon; 1927)

Bad Day at Cat Rock (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1965)

Belle de Jour, by Joseph Kessel (Novel; 1928)

The Best of Everything, by Rona Jaffe (Novel; 1958)

Big Game Haunt (WB MM Cartoon; 1968))

Billy Madison (Film; 1995)

Butch (MGM Cartoon; 1951)

Chico & Rita (Animated Film; 2012)

The College Dropout, by Kanye West (Album; 2004)

Daffy’s Rhapsody (WB LT Cartoon; 2012)

Das Boot (Film; 1982)

Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller (Play; 1949)

The Four-Legged Zoo [#4] (Multiplication Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1973)

The Glenn Miller Story (Film; 1954)

The Grasshopper and the Ants (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1934)

Icebound, by Owen Davis (Play; 1923)

The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury (Novel; 1951)

I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You), by Aretha Franklin (Song; 1967)

Inside Outer Space (Disney Animated TV Special; 1963)

John Wick: Chapter 2 (Film; 2017)

Kimi (Film; 2022)

The Lego Batman Movie (Animated Film; 2013)

Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League (WB Animated Film; 2015)

The Littles, by John Lawrence Peterson (Novel; 1967)

Long Tall Sally, recorded by Little Richard (Song; 1956)

The Loved One, by Evelyn Waugh (Novel; 1948)

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Animated TV Series; 2023)

The Pink Panther (Film; 2006)

Pluto and the Gopher (Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Puss Gets the Boot (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1940) [#1]

Rabbit Every Monday (WB LT Cartoon; 1951)

Rio Rita, by Red Fin Rito and His Orchestra (Song; 1942)

Safe house (Film; 2012)

Shallow Grave (Film; 1995)

A Sheep in the Deep (WB MM Cartoon; 1962)

Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (Film; 2012)

Sultans of Swing, by Dire Straits (Song; 1979)

Tales of Hoffmann, by Jacques Offenbach (Opera; 1881)

Tapestry, by Carole King (Album; 1971)

The Three Bears (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

Tom & Jerry (MGM Cartoon; 1940)

Van Halen, by Van Halen (Album; 1978)

Today’s Name Days

Scholastika, Siegmar (Austria)

Haralampi, Valentin, Valentina (Bulgaria)

Alojzije, Vilim, Vjekoslav (Croatia)

Mojmír (Czech Republic)

Scholastica (Denmark)

Ella, Elle, Ellen, Elli, Ellu (Estonia)

Elina, Ella, Elle, Ellen, Elna (Finland)

Arnaud (France)

Bruno, Scholastika, Siegmar (Germany)

Chara, Charalambos, Chariklia, Haralambia, Haralambos, Hariklia, Harilaos (Greece)

Elvira (Hungary)

Arnaldo, Guglielmo, Scolastica, Wilma (Italy)

Paula, Paulīna, Paulīne (Latvia)

Ada, Elvyra, Gabrielius, Girvydas, Vydgailė (Lithuania)

Ingfrid, Ingrid (Norway)

Elwira, Gabriel, Jacek, Jacenty, Scholastyka, Tomisława (Poland)

Haralambie (Romania)

Gabriela (Slovakia)

Escolástica (Spain)

Eugenia, Iris (Sweden)

Austria, Amber, Amelinda, Colt, Colten, Colton, Duran, Durand, Durante, Kolton, Meredith (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 41 of 2024; 325 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 6 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 1 (Jia-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 1 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 30 Rajab 1445

J Cal: 11 Grey; Foursday [11 of 30]

Julian: 28 January 2024

Moon: 2%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 13 Homer (2nd Month) [Apelles)

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 52 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 20 of 28)

Calendar Changes

Adar I (only in leap years) [אֲדָר א׳] (Hebrew Calendar) [Month 12 of 12]

陬月 [Zōuyuè] (Chinese Lunisolar Calendar) [Month 1 of 12] (Square of Pegasus Month; Corner Month) [Earthly Branch: Tiger Month] (First Month)

[zvaigzdelasas]

From the 1960s to late 1980s, the Unification Church was stridently anti-communist. More than 300,000 South Korean troops were sent to support American forces defending South Vietnam and Moon was a vocal supporter of the Vietnam War. His position was fully shared throughout the war by all mainstream Protestant churches in South Korea. At home, critics of the South Korean military deployment risked detention and torture by the KCIA, and massacres by Korean troops in Vietnam were covered up.[...]

Moon also sponsored the 1970 Tokyo meeting of the World Anti-Communist League, with which the IFVOC and Shokyo Rengo were affiliated. The WACL grew out of the Asian People’s Anti-Communist League, formed in 1954, at the request of South Korea’s Rhee Syngman and Taiwan’s Chiang Kai-shek, to fight communism in Asia after the end of the Korean War. The WACL, established in Taiwan in 1966, expanded the scope of anti-communist activity onto a global stage. In the 1970s, the European division of WACL became notorious for a large influx of fascist groups, especially after British white supremacist Roger Pearson took over as WACL chairman in 1978. Geoffrey Stewart-Smith, who headed the League’s British chapter, resigned in protest, describing the WACL as “largely a collection of Nazis, Fascists, anti-Semites, sellers of forgeries, vicious racialists, and corrupt self-seekers.”

Unification Church expansion in the United States began after Moon moved there with his rapidly growing family in the early 1970s, settling in a sprawling country estate in Tarrytown, in the Hudson Valley outside New York City. His religion appealed to young people seeking a communal ethos but turned off by the drugs and free love of the hippie counterculture. Converts hawked flowers and candles at airports and street corners, and with money also pouring in from Japan, the Unification Church bought the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan, a seafood operation said to supply half of the sushi sold in the United States, a cable TV network, a recording studio, and a shipbuilding firm.[...]

When Maj. Gen. John Singlaub, chief of staff of U.S. forces in Korea, and a former field officer of the CIA, criticised the troop drawdown [from Korea] in an interview with the Washington Post, he was relieved from duty and later resigned from the military. In 1981, Singlaub founded the U.S. chapter of the WACL, the United States Council for World Freedom.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.10

Holidays

All the News That's Fit To Print Day

Anniversary of Oruro

Arabian Leopard Day (Saudi Arabia)

Ausonia Asteroid Day

Children’s Hospice Day (Germany)

Cliff Burton Day (Alameda County, California)

Deep Blue Day

Fenkil Day (Eritrea)

Gold Record Day

Half-Baked Day (Halfway to 4/20)

International Cribbage Day

International Day of the Arabian Leopard

International Drive Your Triumph Day

International Ski Patrol Day

International Weather Festival

Kurdish Authors Union Day (Iraqi Kurdistan)

Lt. Col. Vindman Day

Military Industrial Complex Day

National Deworming Day (India)

National Flannel Day

National Home Warranty Day

National Julio Day

National Louis Day

National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe (Italy)

National TV Safety Day

NEET Day (Japan)

Plimsoll Day

Rose Daphne Day (French Republic)

Royal Hobart Regatta Day (Tasmania)

Singing Telegram Day (New York Postal Telegraph Co.)

TBL1XR1 Related Disorder Day

Teddy Day

Tom and Jerry Day

Umbrella Day

Valentismas

Voltammentry Day

Volunteer Defense Day (Thailand)

Welsh Language Music Day (UK)

World Pulses Day

YMCA Day

Ziggy Stardust Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Cream Cheese Brownie Day

National “Have a Brownie” Day

Try to Invent a New Jell-O Flavor Day

2nd Saturday in February

Global Movie Day [2nd Saturday]

International Purple Hijab Day [2nd Saturday]

International Snowmobile Ride Day [2nd Saturday]

Independence & Related Days

Anniversary of Oruro (Bolivia)

Empire of North Africa (Declared; 2006) [unrecognized]

New Jersey Concessions & Agreements Day (New Jersey) [1st U.S. state constitution; 1665)

Phokland (Declared; 2007) [unrecognized]

Rosston (Declared; 2007) [unrecognized]

Unification of Upper and Lower Canada (1841)

New Year’s Days

Kebbawa New Year & Beginning of Fishing Season (Kebbawa People of Nigeria)

New Year's Day  [Lunar Calendar] (a.k.a. …

Bituun (Mongolia)

Chinese New Year [2024: Year of the Dragon]

Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Yin Black Water Rabbit

Fete du Printemps (Mauritius)

Losar/Loshar (India, Nepal)

Lunar New Year’s Day (Hong Kong)

Novo Ano Lunar (Macau)

Seol-Nal (South Korea)

Sonam Lhosar (Tamang New Year)

Sonam Lochhar (Sikkam, India)

Spring Festival (China)

Tahun Baru Imlek (Indonesia)

Tamang New Year (Nepal)

Tet Nguyen Dan (Vietnam)

Tsagaan Sar (Mongolia) [2023: Year of the Rabbit]

Tet Holiday begins (Vietnam) [thru 26th]

Festivals Beginning February 10, 2024

Carnaval de Barranquilla (Barranquilla, Colombia) [4 Days before Ash Wednesday; thru 2.13]

Carnival of Aalst (Aalst, Belgium) [thru 2.13]

Carnival of Binche (Binche, Belgium) [thru 2.13]

Carnival of Maastricht (Maastricht, Netherlands) [thru 2.13]

Death by Chocolate (Appleton, Wisconsin)

Fastelavn (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-Off (Manitou Springs, Colorado)

Palm Beach Marine Flea Market & Seafood Festival (West Palm Beach, Florida) [thru 2.11]

Paris Carnival (Paris, France)

Sábado de Carnaval (Argentina; Brazil) [thru 2.13]

Wine Love Trail (Sonoma County, California)

Feast Days

Anabita’s Day (Pagan)

Apelles (Positivist; Saint)

Apple Wish Spell Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Ary Scheffer (Artology)

Austrebertha (Christian; Saint)

Bertolt Brecht (Writerism)

Bisexual Anxiety Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Boris Pasternak (Writerism)

Charalambos (Christian; Saint)

Day of Anaitis (Persian Goddess of the Moon and the Seas)

E.L. Konigsburg (Writerism)

Erlulph of Scotland (Christian; Saint)

Faeries Creation Day (Celtic Book of Days)

Feast of St. Paul's Shipwreck (Malta)

Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy (Artology)

José Sánchez del Río (Christian; Saint)

Marilyn Monroe Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Mr. Holiday (Muppetism)

Nicolas Taunay (Artology)

Paradoxically Non-Paradoxical Day (a.k.a. Paradox Day; Pastafarian)

Scholastica (Christian; Saint)

Soteris (Christian; Martyr)

Tales of Kelp-Koli (Shamanism)

Trumwin (Christian; Saint)

William of Maleval (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Prime Number Day: 41 [13 of 72]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Tycho Brahe Lucky Day (Scandinavia) [3 of 4]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [10 of 60]

Premieres

Alice at the Carnival (Disney Cartoon; 1927)

Bad Day at Cat Rock (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1965)

Belle de Jour, by Joseph Kessel (Novel; 1928)

The Best of Everything, by Rona Jaffe (Novel; 1958)

Big Game Haunt (WB MM Cartoon; 1968))

Billy Madison (Film; 1995)

Butch (MGM Cartoon; 1951)

Chico & Rita (Animated Film; 2012)

The College Dropout, by Kanye West (Album; 2004)

Daffy’s Rhapsody (WB LT Cartoon; 2012)

Das Boot (Film; 1982)

Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller (Play; 1949)

The Four-Legged Zoo [#4] (Multiplication Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1973)

The Glenn Miller Story (Film; 1954)

The Grasshopper and the Ants (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1934)

Icebound, by Owen Davis (Play; 1923)

The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury (Novel; 1951)

I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You), by Aretha Franklin (Song; 1967)

Inside Outer Space (Disney Animated TV Special; 1963)

John Wick: Chapter 2 (Film; 2017)

Kimi (Film; 2022)

The Lego Batman Movie (Animated Film; 2013)

Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League (WB Animated Film; 2015)

The Littles, by John Lawrence Peterson (Novel; 1967)

Long Tall Sally, recorded by Little Richard (Song; 1956)

The Loved One, by Evelyn Waugh (Novel; 1948)

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Animated TV Series; 2023)

The Pink Panther (Film; 2006)

Pluto and the Gopher (Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Puss Gets the Boot (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1940) [#1]

Rabbit Every Monday (WB LT Cartoon; 1951)

Rio Rita, by Red Fin Rito and His Orchestra (Song; 1942)

Safe house (Film; 2012)

Shallow Grave (Film; 1995)

A Sheep in the Deep (WB MM Cartoon; 1962)

Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (Film; 2012)

Sultans of Swing, by Dire Straits (Song; 1979)

Tales of Hoffmann, by Jacques Offenbach (Opera; 1881)

Tapestry, by Carole King (Album; 1971)

The Three Bears (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

Tom & Jerry (MGM Cartoon; 1940)

Van Halen, by Van Halen (Album; 1978)

Today’s Name Days

Scholastika, Siegmar (Austria)

Haralampi, Valentin, Valentina (Bulgaria)

Alojzije, Vilim, Vjekoslav (Croatia)

Mojmír (Czech Republic)

Scholastica (Denmark)

Ella, Elle, Ellen, Elli, Ellu (Estonia)

Elina, Ella, Elle, Ellen, Elna (Finland)

Arnaud (France)

Bruno, Scholastika, Siegmar (Germany)

Chara, Charalambos, Chariklia, Haralambia, Haralambos, Hariklia, Harilaos (Greece)

Elvira (Hungary)

Arnaldo, Guglielmo, Scolastica, Wilma (Italy)

Paula, Paulīna, Paulīne (Latvia)

Ada, Elvyra, Gabrielius, Girvydas, Vydgailė (Lithuania)

Ingfrid, Ingrid (Norway)

Elwira, Gabriel, Jacek, Jacenty, Scholastyka, Tomisława (Poland)

Haralambie (Romania)

Gabriela (Slovakia)

Escolástica (Spain)

Eugenia, Iris (Sweden)

Austria, Amber, Amelinda, Colt, Colten, Colton, Duran, Durand, Durante, Kolton, Meredith (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 41 of 2024; 325 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 6 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Luis (Rowan) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 1 (Bing-Yin), Day 1 (Jia-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 1 Adair I 5784

Islamic: 30 Rajab 1445

J Cal: 11 Grey; Foursday [11 of 30]

Julian: 28 January 2024

Moon: 2%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 13 Homer (2nd Month) [Apelles)

Runic Half Month: Sigel (Sun) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 52 of 89)

Zodiac: Capricorn (Day 20 of 28)

Calendar Changes

Adar I (only in leap years) [אֲדָר א׳] (Hebrew Calendar) [Month 12 of 12]

陬月 [Zōuyuè] (Chinese Lunisolar Calendar) [Month 1 of 12] (Square of Pegasus Month; Corner Month) [Earthly Branch: Tiger Month] (First Month)

[mariacallous]

Although Japan has no nationwide election scheduled for 2024, the temperature in domestic politics is running high. Until a few weeks ago, the big question in the Japanese political scene was whether Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would be able to boost public support enough to wield the ultimate lever in his toolbox: calling a snap election at a time of his choosing, to maximize his party’s chances at the polls. That option now seems more remote after recent developments have continued to suppress his cabinet’s approval ratings.

Instead, the core questions in the national conversation are more primordial: Can Kishida’s party, the dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), finally eschew the factional politics that have long set the tone of intraparty dynamics? Can the LDP deliver on an agenda of political reform—something it has historically struggled to achieve—to restore public confidence?

At stake is the survival of Kishida’s premiership, with party president elections this fall. This is further complicated by the disarray of Japan’s factional system that has structured competition within the ruling party for decades and the prospect of domestic issues distracting from Japan’s proactive foreign policy agenda.

Kishida’s tenure rocked by political scandals

Successors to Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, have always had big shoes to fill. Their success is measured by their ability to drum up public support that can win the party elections and secure enough political capital to implement ambitious national and foreign policies. Although Kishida clinched solid wins for his coalition ticket (with the lay-Buddhist party Komeito) in the lower and upper house elections in 2021 and 2022, his track record on foreign policy is stronger than his domestic performance. Joining the international coalition to support Ukraine; adopting the first-of-its-kind economic security promotion law; revising Japan’s three strategic security documents, which included a pledge to boost defense expenditures; hosting a successful G7 summit; and improving historically frayed relations with South Korea to advance unprecedented trilateral cooperation with the United States are all feathers in Kishida’s cap.

Kishida’s foreign policy activism, however, has not elicited a domestic political upswing. The Japanese public remains unconvinced about Kishida’s promise to bring forth a “New Capitalism” that balances growth and distribution at a time when inflation and yen depreciation squeeze citizens’ wallets.

Political drama has also rocked the Kishida administration. Only one year into Kishida’s tenure, the country was shaken by Abe’s murder on July 8, 2022. As the assassin’s motives came into view—blaming Abe for LDP politicians’ ties to the Unification Church that had exploited his family—a broader scandal ensued. Kishida responded with measures to cut party members’ ties to the Unification Church, offer legal redress to its victims, and petition the courts to strip its religious corporation status to end its tax privileges. This, however, did not improve the cabinet’s approval rates, which have stayed below 30 percent since October 2023 and now sit at a perilous 23 percent.

Moreover, a scandal over the LDP’s use of slush funds has undermined public trust and put control over the party in question. The timing could not be worse for Kishida, as indicators showing Japan may be leaving behind the era of deflation (more robust wage increases, price increases in services, and hints from the Bank of Japan’s governor that an exit from negative interest rates is on the horizon) are overshadowed by the unfolding political drama.

In late 2023 and early 2024, revelations about the failure of some LDP factions to properly disclose over $6 million in revenue from fundraising parties and kickbacks to party members began trickling in. Now, four of the main six factions have been dissolved after being found to carry out such practices, including the Kishida faction. Prosecutors have charged several lawmakers, secretaries, and accountants for their involvement in slush funds, but no major senior political figure to date.

Last December, Kishida asked for the resignation of his own chief cabinet secretary, three cabinet ministers, and several senior party officials given their past roles in the management of the implicated factions. With no signs of the scandal abating, the prime minister announced the creation of an internal Political Reform Taskforce to address broader issues of transparency, accountability, and party governance.

The factions’ future

By mid-January 2024, a clear focal point had emerged: the factions’ future. Japan’s post-World War II electoral system—with multi-member electoral districts—pitted fellow LDP politicians against each other at election time. This made for intense intraparty competition that was managed through factions. Membership in a faction was essential for LDP politicians to secure party nomination and run in an electoral district, fund their campaign and provide constituent services, and obtain backing for promotion to senior positions in the party and government. Fierce factional competition also meant that the greatest peril to the LDP’s continued hold on power was defection from a major faction. This lesson was bitterly learned in 1993 when the Ozawa grouping bolted and brought about the LDP’s fall from power (albeit briefly).

The electoral system adopted in 1994 created a hybrid system of single-member districts and proportional representation regional blocks. Together with tightened political funding rules in 1994, these reforms weakened but did not eliminate the factions. The factions lost their hold on the electoral district nomination process, but they continued to provide key benefits (i.e., money and promotions).

Kishida’s decision to dissolve his own faction on January 16 shocked many. Three other factions (Abe and Toshihiro Nikai’s, then Hiroshi Moriyama’s) followed suit; however, Tarō Asō and Toshimitsu Motegi noted their own factions have not been implicated and declined to dissolve them. After only two weeks of deliberation, the LDP Political Reform Taskforce issued an interim report: it does not call for the dismantling of all factions, but forbids them from hosting fundraising parties and providing seasonal funds to their members, gives the party the power to dissolve factions found in violation of the Political Funds Control Act, introduces greater online transparency to political contributions, and introduces co-responsibility for shoddy financial practices so that LDP politicians cannot shift accountability to accountants. The report also calls for the end of factional nominations for party and government appointments. Yet questions remain about the new rules’ enforcement.

Will this time be different?

Kishida’s efforts are meant to transform the factions from being held together by the allure of funds and appointments, into genuine policy-focused groupings that can nurture a young and diverse generation of politicians. The January 2024 sketch of political reform, however, is unlikely to accomplish this. As in the past, politicians may find new loopholes in the political funding rules. Individual politicians are not forbidden from hosting fundraising parties, for example, and the interim report only promises a follow-up on creating the shift from a system of faction endorsement to whole-of-party management of the appointment process. Merely relabeling the factions as “policy groups” lacks credibility, as such a fix was already attempted with reforms in the 1990s. And it is difficult for the prime minister to portray himself as a crusader for political reform when he has let each faction decide its own future.

The public certainly remains skeptical. When asked about Kishida’s announcement to dissolve his faction, 61 percent said they approved of the decision, but 72 percent said that they did not think the LDP disbanding the factions would restore trust in politics, indicating a long road ahead to restore the LDP’s image.

A party election of national consequence

The factions’ role has been in flux for some time. Before the scandal broke, around 20 percent of LDP politicians were unaffiliated with factions. Two former prime ministers built their brands on rejecting factional politics— Junichiro Koizumi in the early 2000s and Yoshihide Suga decades later. But by and large, factions proved resilient because they helped structure the race to the top within the party. It is unclear whether the public’s distrust of factions and the new bans on their fundraising and appointment activities will be enough in the long term to constitute a tipping point toward their further decline.

Regardless, the LPD factions’ disarray will have important near-term consequences. The current upheaval has muddied the waters around the party president election scheduled for this September. Because Japan has a parliamentary system and a dominant ruling party, the LDP leadership vote paves the way to the premiership. Factional bosses have had an advantage since they could count on their members’ support, but these certainties no longer apply since major factions have closed and those that remain are also losing senior members seeking to avoid PR damage by association. There is also pressure for the party to censor or expel senior members of the Abe faction, further rocking the boat.

It is hard to predict whether Kishida’s gamble on political reform will pay off and win him reelection as the LDP party president. But the stakes go beyond Japan. Kishida will visit Washington this April while battling to restore public trust at home and assert control over his own party. The risk of greater uncertainty in Japanese domestic politics is not that Tokyo may change its foreign policy direction, but rather that low public trust and LDP infighting may shorten the tenure of prime ministers and distract from pressing geopolitical challenges, potentially affecting Japan’s impact in the region.