PRESS CONFERENCE
Escaping the Clutches of a Cult
Sayuri Ogawa, Unification Church Defector
14:00-15:00, Friday, October 7, 2022
(The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation)
Sayuri Ogawa (pseudonym), 26, is a so-called second-generation follower of the Unification Church. She was born to parents who were both worshipers. Her mother got involved in the church at the age of 20, married a man who was selected for a prearranged mass-wedding ceremony, and was raised as a "child of god", the term used to describe children who were born between parents married in the church's mass-wedding ceremony.
Just like Tatsuya Yamagami, who shot and killed former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Ogawa grew up in poverty because her parents donated most of their income to the church. She was compelled to accept the religion and live by its teachings, which forbade her from having boyfriends, reading books or listening to music not recommended by the church. She was repeatedly told by her parents and other church members that she would end up in hell if she did not live by the church's code. The pressure took a mental toll and she was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward for some time.
Six years ago, Ogawa left her family and defected from the church. She is now happily married and has a child but wants to share her traumatic experiences as a second-generation follower. She also wants to share the result of a survey she has been conducting with current and former believers of the church, in which many of them complained about unbearable poverty and hardship.
How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/8jo8fttbxnzuQCX19
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
Professional Activities Committee