TOKYO: Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday (Aug 31) that politicians a new duty to be cautious with their ties with any organisation, plus apologised for their own party members’ documented activities with the controversial Unification Church.
“As mind of the party, I actually offer my sincere apologies, ” Kishida told a news conference, his initial in person as he emerged from COVID-19 pen on Wednesday having caught the virus earlier this month .
Revelations of long-running links between some lawmakers of the judgment Liberal Democratic Celebration and the church have grown to be a headache regarding Kishida, denting their approval ratings, and also have fanned opposition towards a state funeral prepared for slain former premier Shinzo Abe.
Abe’s suspected assassin bore a grudge against the church , officially called the Household Federation for World Peace and Unification, alleging it bankrupted his mother, plus blamed Abe regarding promoting it, based on his social media content and news reviews.
The church, founded in South Korea in the 1950s plus known for its mass weddings, has through the years faced questions over how it solicits donations.
The government has said Abe’s funeral service, to be held upon Sept 27 in Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan hall, would cost about 250 million yen (US$1. 7 million), excluding outlays for security and the reception of overseas dignitaries.