Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Tuesday that he needs to review his relationship with the Unification Church given the spotlight shone on the group following the assassination of his elder brother and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Kishi had revealed he had received help in past elections from members of the church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, but he denied receiving organizational support.
"In light of the social issues that have surfaced, I need to thoroughly review the ties I've had until now," the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker said at a press conference.
Abe, who was Japan's longest-serving prime minister, was fatally shot by a lone gunman during a campaign speech in Nara, western Japan on July 8. The assailant allegedly targeted Abe believing the lawmaker had ties to the church, against which he is known to have had a grudge.
The church has been accused of talking people into buying expensive items, often seals, through the citing of "bad karma" created by their ancestors. It is also being criticized for collecting huge donations from followers to the point that their family finances are ruined.
The opposition has piled pressure on the LDP regarding its lawmakers' links to the church, saying the group is trying to use its connections with lawmakers to keep its problematic practices from public scrutiny.
A recent Kyodo News poll showed 80 percent of Japanese find it necessary to probe ties between lawmakers and the group. The issue is expected to be a focus of the three-day extraordinary Diet session starting Wednesday.
LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi reiterated at a press conference Tuesday that there is "absolutely no connection" between the church and his party as a whole, saying that party lawmakers who have been alleged to have ties "should offer explanations on their own."
Meanwhile, Natsuo Yamaguchi, who heads the LDP's junior coalition ally Komeito, said the topic "should not be needlessly broadened to politics and religion in general."
Komeito is backed by the Soka Gakkai lay Buddhist group.
Besides Kishi, other members of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet also addressed their ties to the religious group.
Seiko Noda, minister in charge of gender equality and children's policies, said her secretary attended an event co-hosted by the church last year in Gifu Prefecture, on her behalf.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi both said they have no connections to the group, while Kosaburo Nishime, minister in charge of reconstruction, said he has never attended events related to the group or received donations from it.
Related coverage:
Japan Cabinet support sags to record low 51% after Abe funeral plan
Japan ruling lawmaker brushes off Unification Church controversy
Lawyers accuse Abe shooting-linked church of entrapping many families
