Forced participation in religious activities in Japan

Japan Draws Up Guidelines on Child Abuse Linked to Religion. Forced participation in religious activities to be classified as child abuse.

Tokyo, Dec. 26 (Jiji Press)--Using threats to force children to engage in religious activity, or preventing them from marriage or study on the basis of religious doctrine, amounts to child abuse, according to new guidelines drawn up by Japan's welfare ministry.

The guidelines' points to keep in mind when receiving consultations about suspected abuse of children by parents who are members of religious groups are set to be distributed to child consultation centers nationwide, sources familiar with the matter said Monday.

Written in a question-and-answer format, the guidelines were created on the basis of hearings with children of religious group members.

The guidelines say that using phrases such as "You will go to hell" and other threats to force children to participate in religious activity amounts to abuse.

They also say that not offering adequate food to children due to the lack of living expenses caused by massive religious donations can be abuse, as can preventing children from interacting with friends who do not believe in the same religion.

Japan will classify as abuse any acts by members of religious groups who threaten or force their children to participate in religious activities, or that hinder a child’s career path based on religious doctrine.

According to unnamed sources cited by Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun, the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry is preparing its first draft in connection with religious groups such as the Unification Church, officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The Unification Church came to attention in 2022 after former prime minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot by a man with longstanding grudges against the religious group.

Children of religious groups’ followers have criticised the authorities’ handling of this issue in the past.

They have said child consultation centres and the police did not respond to their complaints of abuse, telling the children there was nothing they could do because freedom of religion is protected under the Constitution.

In October, the ministry had told local governments not to make perfunctory responses simply because a problem is religious in nature.

The guidelines will specify what faith-based acts against children fall under the categories of abuse as stipulated in the Child Abuse Prevention Law.