Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida came under fire in parliament over his party’s links to a controversial religious group and defended plans for former Premier Shinzo Abe’s state funeral in a bid to restore public support.
(Bloomberg) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida came under fire in parliament over his party’s links to a controversial religious group and defended plans for former Premier Shinzo Abe’s state funeral in a bid to restore public support.
Kishida lauded Abe’s achievements in economic and foreign policy during his time in office, including from 2012 to 2020. Opposition leaders said he failed to consider the negative side of Abe’s legacy, including scandals and links to the Unification Church, and questioned his right to make the decision without consulting lawmakers.
“This will show our determination not to give in to violence and to defend democracy,” Kishida told a lower house committee, adding that he accepted criticism that he hadn’t sufficiently explained the decision on the funeral.
Kishida is trying to stem a slide in popularity that could undermine his ability to control the party and distract from policy plans. The premier wants to narrow economic disparities and strengthen the military — largely to counter China’s more aggressive approach to the region.
Kishida, 65, is facing discontent over LDP ties to the church, surging fuel and food prices, and a weakening yen. Several recent major polls have shown his backing fell below 50%.
Why Japan Is Turning Against a State Funeral for Former PM Abe
Kishida announced a state funeral for Abe days after his assassination on the campaign trail in July. Polls indicate most Japanese oppose the event, in part because of the former prime minister’s links to the Unification Church. There’s also been opposition given the cost, which the government has estimated at about 1.7 billion yen ($12 million).
US Vice President Kamala Harris and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have confirmed their attendance at the ceremony, which may attract as many as 6,000 people. Kishida said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, European Council President Charles Michel and Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc planned to attend.
Support for Japan’s Kishida Slides Even More After Church Pledge
The suspect in Abe’s assassination cited his links to the religious group now officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which he blamed for causing his family’s financial plight. Media investigations revealed links with scores of other politicians, mostly from the LDP.
The party’s secretary general, Toshimitsu Motegi, will hold a briefing Thursday on the results of a survey into ties between its members and the organization. He’ll say it found more than 150 of its lawmakers had some form of contact, Kyodo News reported, citing LDP officials.
Known for its mass weddings and followers derisively called “Moonies” — after its founder, Sun Myung Moon — the church faced dozens of court rulings against it in Japan over its fund-raising and other practices.
The Unification Church has said it took steps more than a decade ago to curb “excessive actions” by some of its members.
(Updates with Kishida comments from first paragraph.)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
