On July 8, 2022, former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzō was assassinated, and it was soon revealed that the Prime Minister lost his life due to his political connections with the former Unification Church. This scandal sparked strong backlash and criticism of the Unification Church in the mass media, academia, and the general public. However, it had already been met with public social criticism in the past. It was accused of many controversial crimes, from fraudulent spiritual sales to controversial methods of recruiting new members. It has been the subject of much public debate. After reviewing relevant research on the church about its 60 years of activity and monitoring the events in connection with the organization after the assassination, I argue in my thesis that its current image as a controversial organization in Japanese society is the result of several factors: its functioning and activities within Japanese politics, economy, and society, the “cult phobia” of Japanese society and the role of the mass media which has great influence on the formation of public opinion. An analysis of the articles of the three largest Japanese newspapers, which present news related to the Church, has shown that behind the original objective treatment of the church, there are hidden methods that present the church in a negative light indirectly. My thesis includes a short survey on the public opinion of Japanese people about the Unification Church which provides insight into today's public perception of this new religious movement.
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