Japan's lower house Speaker under fire for links to Unification Church

Hiroyuki Hosoda is applauded after being elected as the new Speaker of the Lower House at a plenary session in Tokyo on November 10, 2021. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU AFP TOKYO - The chief of Japan's lower house of parliament came under fire Thursday for admitting he had links to the controversial Unification Church.

In a statement, Hiroyuki Hosoda, a veteran Republican Party lawmaker and speaker of the House of Representatives, admitted he had given two speeches and appeared in two meetings held by the Unification Church or related groups.

Hosoda said he attended such gatherings on four occasions in 2018 and 2019 and was interviewed by a related group in Japan's public broadcaster NHK in 2019.

Hosoda said that a group with connections to the Unification Church had offered to support him in his previous election campaigns. The group is based in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan.

His admission drew criticism from opposition parties, with Kazuo Shii, head of the Japanese Communist Party, lambasting Hosoda and calling for him to step down as Speaker of the Lower House if he could not explain his links to the church, often referred to as a cult, in parliament.

If he can't do that, he should immediately step down as the lower house speaker, Shii was quoted as telling reporters.

READ MORE: Japan's LDP's update list of members linked to the Unification Church.

The ruling LDP, headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, is under pressure to explain its connections to the church, known for coercing huge amounts of money from its followers in return for spiritual or karmic benefits, following the party's promise to sever ties to the group.

An internal investigation by the LDP revealed that about half of the LDP's lawmakers have had ties with the organization, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

Kishida is expected to be examined by opposition parties in an extraordinary parliamentary session convened for Monday amid waning support for the LDP, according to recent polls.

The LDP and the Unification Church have been linked to the revelation of links between the LDP and the UN, which has been linked to growing concerns by opposition parties and the public that the dubious religious organization has been trying to influence politics in Japan by deepening its ties with the LDP.