Japan probes Unification Church after backlash over LDP ties

Investigation could threaten its legal status, make it harder for it to raise funds

- 

Japan launched a probe into the Unification Church on Tuesday that could threaten its legal status, after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in July revealed its close ties to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and triggered a public backlash.

For the church, founded in South Korea in 1954 and relying on its Japan followers as a key source of income, the probe could deliver a severe financial blow, affecting its tax exemptions and even its property holdings.

The stakes are high for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government, teetering on an approval rate of just 30 per cent and eager to quell the uproar over links to the church, which forced the resignation of a minister.

"For Kishida, it's clear that this is a huge drag on him. He's going to be linked to the Unification Church issue no matter what," said North Carolina State University's Associate Professor Levi McLaughlin, who is studying religion in Japan.