Japan launched a probe into the Unification Church on Tuesday that could threaten its legal status, after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in July revealed its close ties to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and triggered a public backlash.
For the church, founded in South Korea in 1954 and relying on its Japan followers as a key source of income, the probe could deliver a severe financial blow, affecting its tax exemptions and even its property holdings.
The stakes are high for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government, teetering on an approval rate of just 30 per cent and eager to quell the uproar over links to the church, which forced the resignation of a minister.
"For Kishida, it's clear that this is a huge drag on him. He's going to be linked to the Unification Church issue no matter what," said North Carolina State University's Associate Professor Levi McLaughlin, who is studying religion in Japan.
ãã®èšäºã¯ The Straits Times ã® November 23, 2022 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ The Straits Times ã® November 23, 2022 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
A layered narrative of Singapore and the Malay community in the 1960s and 1970s
NEVERNESS By Fairoz Ahmad Fiction/Ethos Books/Paperback/ 226 pages/$24
HIT THE RAILS ON A BIKE
It is always a thrill to pull out of a train station and feel yourself picking up speed, wheels click-clacking over the rails.
From drugs, jail and bankruptcy to social enterprise cafe for ex-offenders
Drugs. Bankruptcy. Failed marriages. And prison. But Mr Matthew Poh is not letting his past define him.
Small Rain finds great intimacy amid medical isolation
How has the Covid-19 pandemic shaped literary fiction? American novelist Garth Greenwell's turn from two erotically charged novels set in Bulgaria to his latest â a pandemic novel set in the sexless emergency ward of an Iowa hospital â offers answers.
Grab Singapore's managing director listens to audiobooks
Mr Yee Wee Tang, 48, managing director of Grab Singapore, recently announced that the company has upgraded its Grab Benefits 2.0 programme and will spend $4 million a year on welfare for drivers and delivery workers who use the platform.
Japanese author inspired by external environs
Ko Shinjo is behind the novel that inspired Netflix hit Tokyo Swindlers
Gen Z couples say no to hawker centre first dates
In the light of a Bumble survey, The Sunday Times speaks to four couples to find out how dating etiquette has evolved over the years
Let's Talk About Death Who will care for my sister when I die?
Let's Talk About Death is a five-episode docuseries that follows several millennials and their loved ones as they navigate end-of-life planning, and seeks to kick-start honest conversations about death and dying well.
Maeder, kitefoiling get sweet Yeo's bundle deal
An already momentous year for Singapore's kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder got even better on Nov 9, when local food and beverage company Yeo Hiap Seng (Yeo's) extended their sponsorship deal by another four years from 2025 to 2028.
CAVENDISH'S FINAL RACE
Legend confirms that S'pore Criterium is his swansong - and he wants to claim it
