President Tomihiro Tanaka’s Message for December 2025
On October 19th, Sunday service was held at the Sagamihara Family Church for members in the Western Kanagawa area, welcoming President Tomihiro Tanaka who delivered the sermon and talked about the religious persecution occurring in Korea and Japan. He called for the members to walk forward each day, firmly believing that their efforts will be cheongseong that can support True Mother.
Editorial Department
Revered by all as the Mother of Humanity
Good morning, everyone.
Currently, members around the world are spending their days thinking of True Mother as soon as they wake up each morning. Whether eating meals or resting at night, thoughts of Mother surely never leave our minds.
Today, I would like to speak frankly about how I’ve been feeling recently.
Everyone, True Mother is the Mother of Humankind, the Messiah. Unless you can truly affirm that this is absolutely true, you will not be able to join us in this battle we confront today. You will not bel able to stand up to these challenges just by clinging onto your “image” of Mother.
On July 18th, a special prosecutor’s team, accompanied by a thousand riot police, entered the Cheon Jeong Gung Museum and conducted a search of the premises.
At that time, True Mother spoke to the chief investigator for fifty minutes about God’s providential history of salvation for humanity. The chief had no choice but to listen one-on-one the entire time. It seemed like he was thinking, “I’ll handle this wave of energy, so you guys hurry up and conduct the search.”
Even when meeting with the president of a nation, True Mother has consistently spoken about God’s purpose of creation, the Fall of humankind, the True Parents, the Only Begotten Son, the Only Begotten Daughter, and the Heavenly Mother sought by God, and today’s current providential stage.
On September 17th, she appeared for questioning by the special prosecutor, and she spoke to them for fifty minutes. She reportedly declared, “The president of this country must now receive Heaven’s blessing from Holy Mother Han.” The lawyer present was said to be astonished and at a loss upon hearing this statement.
True Mother speaks the same message to everyone, whether they are prosecutors or members of the church. For Mother, the Heavenly Mother and Mother of Humanity, all are her children. She communicates with this same energy, pouring out her words so that the other person can be awakened.
True Parents push the providence forward even when imprisoned
Three years and three months have passed since the fierce storm of criticism against the Family Federation erupted in Japan. South Korea is now seeing astonishingly rapid developments. There is no doubt that that nation’s tremendous strong will is driving this.
The South Korean prosecution recognizes that President Hak-ja Han, True Mother, occupies the highest position within the Family Federation organization and should bear ultimate responsibility for all its actions. Their actions stem from this recognition. They assert that no matter what individual members do, all directives originate from President Han. The indictment has asserted that she is the DNA of the organization and its culture.
For us, True Mother is the True Parents of humankind, the Mother of Peace, the one who teaches the providential “time” and delivers prophecies from Heaven. Yet the world only sees her as the head of an organization.
Since President Tomihiro Tanaka is the head of the Family Federation in Japan, he bears full responsibility (in this country). It’s straightforward. Similarly, even though the Family Federation in Korea has a president, they view “all (of the Federation’s) organizations as structured around President Han” and attempt to apply the law to True Mother and judge her.
Church leaders and members alike may be thinking: “If the person responsible steps forward and says, ‘I did it all,’ or ‘I gave all the directives,’ then perhaps no harm will come to True Mother.”
In fact, one leader visited True Mother while she was in hospital, knelt before her, and pleaded, “If things continue this way, there is a possibility that you will be imprisoned. If the members take the burden upon themselves in your place, the way will be opened. Please, grant your permission.”
However, True Mother replied, “Absolutely not! I am not a parent who sacrifices their child.”
The leader persisted, “Mother, you are not just the mother of one or two children. You are the mother of all humanity. Please hold your self.”
But Mother would not yield.
True Mother declared, “I am going to show what the the living God is truly like,” and entered the detention center. Her appearance was identical to that of True Father heading to Danbury Prison.
He would not have been subject to imprisonment if he had avoided entering the United States when problems arose at that time. Yet Father appeared in court to plead his righteous case.
True Father declared he was going to move the World Headquarters to Danbury, and even while incarcerated, he meticulously directed many providential movements worldwide, such as the inter-religious movement, and commanded the proclamation of the collapse of communism. Similarly, even while in detention, True Mother remains the center of Heaven’s providence.
Currently, True Family and church leaders are only permitted ten minutes per day to meet with True Mother. Her cell in the detention center is only four tatami mats in size and has no windows. For True Mother, who has poor mobility, sleeping on the floor must be truly painful.
Even under these circumstances, her conviction remains completely unshaken.
Developments affecting Japan and South Korea
How did things change so abruptly in the first place?
In South Korea, investigations have been launched into seven religious organizations, including the Family Federation, and leaders of four religious groups have been detained and indicted. The world is watching these developments closely.
Three years ago in Japan, then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida declared the severance of ties between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Family Federation. Two years ago, he instructed the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to request the dissolution of the organization.
About two months ago, a secret meeting with the China Anti-Cult Association was held in South Korea. “Cults” refer to religious groups and qigong organizations deemed illegal by the Chinese government and targeted for suppression.
The meeting included leaders from Protestant fundamentalist churches in South Korea, which are part of the anti-cult movement, and from Japan, university lecturer Hiroko Nakanishi was invited.
Ms. Nakanishi compiled a report on Japanese women who married into South Korean families. Based on this information, Weekly Post (June 4, 2010 issue) published an article titled “Unification Church Mass Weddings for South Korean Farmers: Japanese Wives’ ‘Sex Hell’” (Regarding this article, the Tokyo District Court ordered publisher Shogakukan to pay 550,000 yen in damages in February 2013).
Article 36 of China’s Constitution states: “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief.” However, it continues: “The state protects normal religious activities.” Determining what is “normal” falls to the Chinese Communist Party. If it does not deem it correct, it is labeled a cult.
On September 29th, President Xi Jinping presided over a study session of the CCP Central Political Bureau. He emphasized strengthening control and management of religion, urging the swift advancement of the “Sinicization of religion.” Does actively guiding religion to conform to socialism mean creating a “godless religion?”
Since October 9th, it is reported that thirty pastors and members of Zion Church—a Chinese Christian church—have been taken away by authorities and cannot be reached. In response, the U.S. State Department issued a statement demanding their immediate release, but China flatly rejected it, stating it “firmly opposes (foreign) interference in its internal affairs.”
What lies behind the National Bar Association
On March 25, the Tokyo District Court issued a dissolution order against the Family Federation. Three days later, China’s Anti-Cult Association released a statement praising the Tokyo District Court’s ruling which stated, “The Tokyo District Court’s ruling applies the same category used against religion in China and is in line with China’s interests.” It further stated that countries around the world should learn from this as a model for the destruction of anti-communist movements and future policies regarding religion, and expressed the hope that the United States would follow suit.
Let’s rewind a bit.
On July 8, 2022, the shooting incident involving former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe occurred and on the 11th of that month, I held a press conference. The very next day, the Global Times, affiliated with the People’s Daily, reported that “Prime Minister Abe’s assassination demonstrated the legitimacy of China’s crackdown on cults.” At a time when no details of the incident had been conveyed to the public, it positioned suspect Tetsuya Yamagami as the ‘victim’ and the Family Federation as the “perpetrator.”
That same afternoon in Japan, the National Lawyers’ Liaison Committee Against Spiritual Commerce held a press conference, demanding the dissolution of the Family Federation. China’s network has deep roots in Japan.
Communists are destroying Christian culture and traditional family structures
It has been about a century since the Russian Revolution of 1917, yet communists have still not achieved their goal.
The communists’ original aspiration was a simultaneous worldwide revolution. However, that aspiration was thwarted. Christianity, deeply rooted in Europe, stood in their way.
Since Christian faith is primarily passed down from parents to children within the family, communist activists came to regard the destruction of Christianity and the family as their foremost objective.
They learned that even if they seized power, a true revolution could not be achieved unless the culture changed. They patiently and systematically destroyed Christian culture, building a path toward communism. They believed that when the fruit was ripe, it would eventually fall on its own.
So, how has culture changed?
“Pretty words” are used when communist ideology steadily permeates every sphere of life—education, the arts, and the online world. The three most common are human rights, diversity, and self-determination.
Children’s human rights—it’s a nice phrase, isn’t it? If your own children pressed you about their rights, you’d be at a loss for words. Sexual diversity, marital diversity. They prioritize human rights over family bonds, demanding that same-sex couples be granted the same rights as opposite-sex married couples. And they are instilling the idea in children of “sexual self-determination” – that they can decide “when, where, with whom, and what kind” of sexual relationships they can have.
We are absolutely not criticizing LGBTQ people. We oppose the communist movement that exploits them to destroy the traditional family structure.
Unfortunately, the “LGBT Understanding Promotion Act” was promulgated and enacted in June 2023. Japan is undoubtedly being transformed by communist ideology. Now, it is said that parents passing on their faith to their children constitutes a human rights violation. They say, “Don’t impose your values on your children.” This is beyond ridiculous.
The family is the foundation of the Kingdom on Earth. We will defend the value of the family and the value of religion with our lives. We absolutely cannot yield.
Why does our organization have so many enemies? It is because we are welcoming the True Parents of humankind to earth and earnestly striving to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Consequently, we clash with existing values in every sphere—ideology, art, culture, education—and are attacked. Religions focused solely on the heavenly kingdom beyond this world would likely face no persecution.
Speaking the truth invites persecution. Therefore, we can say, “Where there is persecution, there is truth.” Everyone, let us joyfully embrace persecution.
The court permits the examination of a practicing believer as witness
I’ll briefly discuss the court proceedings regarding the dissolution order.
If the Tokyo High Court issues a ruling, the liquidator will proceed with dissolution procedures. While we will appeal to the Supreme Court, this cannot halt the liquidator’s actions. All assets, including buildings owned by the organization, will be confiscated.
Even if, by some chance, the religious corporation status were to be revoked, Heaven’s will would not cease to exist, so our journey will not stop. However, considering the second and third generations, and future generations, we must preserve the religious corporation status at all costs.
Yet, over these past three years of confronting Japan’s judicial system, I have come to understand very well how arduous this path is.
Nevertheless, I still have high hopes for the High Court.
When the parties involved in the trial first met, the judge told MEXT that they would proceed based on evidence, and to present arguments grounded in evidence. This was unprecedented.
Then, on September 17th, the very day True Mother underwent questioning, I also went to court in Japan. At that time, we were informed that the court would accept the examination of active believers as witnesses, which we had been requesting.
The judge went on to say, “Please submit a report on the Family Federation’s efforts to assist victims.” It was a statement I had never expected. If the intention was originally to dissolve the organization, wouldn’t victim relief efforts be something they wouldn’t need to know about?
The possibility has increased that the judge will learn the fact that the Family Federation is sincerely engaging with those who have come forward with complaints. If, based on these facts, the question of whether dissolution is properly discussed rather than treated as a foregone conclusion, it would represent a major turning point.
To show our true form, we submitted everything to the court as evidence—including footage of brothers and sisters nationwide appealing on the streets and speeches by the second-generation religious advocacy group N.A.B.I. It’s regrettable that we cannot share this footage with everyone due to the closed-door trial. We viewed it with our lawyers before submitting them as evidence, and it was impossible to watch without tears. We firmly believe it will move the judges’ heart.
When people meet the members, they are bound to be influenced
While confined in the detention center, True Mother said, “The truth will surely come to light. I can only wait patiently.” Only we, her children, can reveal the truth. We must take responsibility to testify to Mother’s achievements: hosting summits with the world’s top leaders as the Mother of Peace and advancing the peace movement worldwide.
What is being asked of us now is whether we can bear witness from the perspective of True Mother’s position.
Jesus once testified that He was the only begotten Son of God. Therefore, He had no choice but to go to the cross. However, if there had been a human being who could testify in relation to Jesus’ position, the path to the cross might have been different.
True Mother has said, “The president of this nation must receive the Blessing from Holy Mother Han,” and we need people who understand the meaning of these words. Those who comprehend the declaration “I am God’s Only Begotten Daughter” and possess the position to stand in the relative sphere are surely her children. The question is how accurately we, her children, can testify about Mother’s position. Let us redouble our efforts to make this a reality
Once, Jesus testified that He was the only begotten Son of God. Therefore, He had no choice but to go to the cross. However, if there had been a human being who could testify in relation to Jesus’ position, the path to the cross might have been different.
We need people who understand the meaning of True Mother’s words: “The president of this nation must receive the Blessing from Holy Mother Han.” Those who comprehend the declaration “I am God’s only daughter” and possess the position to stand in the relative sphere are surely the children. The question is how correctly we children can testify to Mother’s position in substance. Let us redouble our efforts to make this visible.
I heard that when the Sagamihara Family Church holds a bazaar, around 350 people from the general public attend, including a hundred of their relatives. That’s amazing. I’d love to film it and share it publicly, saying, “See how open our church is!”
Just as True Mother expressed that members are Heaven’s treasure and Heaven’s weapons, if people can experience the reality of our members, they will surely be moved. The messages shared by children who cherish True Mother as their mother are our greatest weapon. Share your own thoughts, show the image of our couples and families, and convey our church activities. Let us strive to show the reality of the members and the truth of the Family Federation using every tool available, including social media.
Let us walk forward each day, firmly believing that our efforts will be cheongseong that can support True Mother.
