Mr Tomihiro Tanaka, the Japanese president of the group now known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, told reporters on March 27 the group had settled all cases of damages levelled against it and the court’s order was an attack on religious freedom.

The Unification Church is the first religious group in Japan to face a revocation order under civil law. Two other groups have lost their status previously but due to criminal cases – Aum Shinrikyo, which carried out the Tokyo subway sarin attack, and Myokakuji, whose leaders were convicted of fraud.

A Tokyo District court on Tuesday ordered the dissolution of the controversial Unification Church. The South Korean church has been accused of manipulative fundraising and recruitment tactics that ins