Six Unification Church Affiliates Accompanied Gingrich During 2019 Meeting With Kishida

Six individuals linked to the Unification Church were present during a meeting between former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and future Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo in 2019. According to The Asahi Shimbun, all but two of the eight people on the list of attendees were affiliated with organizations connected to the church, now formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

The newspaper analyzed photographs provided by Gingrich, enhancing the resolution to identify a piece of paper on Kishida’s desk with the word “List” written on it. Gingrich explained that the list was a record of meeting participants and did not contain any confidential information. The guests included senior members of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and the Federation for World Peace, according to sources.

Kishida’s private office stated that the prime minister understood the meeting to be a courtesy call with Gingrich and that there was no discrepancy with his previous explanation. Kishida maintained that he was not aware of the identities of the many people accompanying Gingrich.

Gingrich visited Kishida on October 4, 2019, at the headquarters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo. He was accompanied by Michael Jenkins, the current president of UPF International. Jenkins previously served as the president of the U.S. branch of the Unification Church from 2000 to 2009. Masayoshi Kajikuri, chairman of UPF Japan, was also in attendance, as stated by Gingrich.

Gingrich is known for his close ties to the UPF, having spoken at several of the organization’s large-scale gatherings. The UPF was established by Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, and his wife, Hak Ja Han Moon, the current leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

The Unification Church has been accused of financially exploiting its followers for decades through excessive donations and other means. Shady ties between the church and several LDP lawmakers came to light following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. The accused gunman held a grudge against the controversial religious group, which Abe had political ties with.

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