How Abe Shinzo's Alleged Church Ties Marred His Legacy & Japan Politics
Insight | Full Episode 2022/10/03
Channel NewsAsia ( Singapore)
In July Japan’s former Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo, was assassinated. In the aftermath, a scandal emerged involving the Unification Church and the ruling party. Protests rage over Abe’s state funeral, as the Japanese question his legacy.
With the Unification Church now in the spotlight, former members speak out on the practices of this controversial organization, considered by some to be a cult.
As the cozy relationship between the Church and the ruling LDP come under a microscope, more people are starting to question the separation between Church and State in Japan, enshrined in Article 20 of the Japanese constitution.
The fallout from the scandal has implicated the current administration, as Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s cabinet sees its lowest approval rating yet, in the days leading up to Abe’s state funeral. As he purges his cabinet of those with close links to the Unification Church, can Kishida emerge from Abe’s shadow?