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In 1994, an anti-Soka Gakkai journalist named Masao Otsukotsu approached Higashi Murayama City Councilwoman Akiyo Asaki, who had displayed a hostile attitude to the Soka Gakkai, and began writing articles the weekly magazines using groundless, slanderous statements made by the councilwoman.
Both Mrs. Asaki and her daughter, Naoko, were elected to the City Council in April 1995. Following her election, Naoko declined her seat in favor of Mr. Hozumi Yano, a runner-up, citing that Mr. Yano was better qualified to achieve her campaign promises. But in August 1997, the Supreme Court declared the award of the seat to her runner-up invalid.
On July 12, 1995, Akiyo Asaki was charged with stealing a T-shirt from a local apparel store. The owner of the store stated that he witnessed Asaki taking the shirts. Several additional people testified to the fact. Deputy Chief of the Higashi Murayama Office stated, “Also, we strongly suspect that, with help by a friend in the city council, she fabricated an alibi and behaved quite deceitfully. Although she claims that the charges are false, we, the Police Department, have conducted the investigation rightfully and properly and are confident in sending the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.”
On September 1, 1995, City Councilwoman Asaki jumped to her death from the sixth floor of a building.
Assemblywoman Death Shrouded in Mystery
The Daily Yomiuri, Sept. 3, 1995
City Politician Apparently Leaps to Her Death
The Japan Times, Sept. 3, 1995
The Soka Gakkai is Attacked
Asaki suffered her fatal fall four days before she was to appear before the Hachioji Branch of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the shoplifting case.
Nevertheless, the husband and daughter of the late Asaki alleged, in the Sept. 23, 1995 issue of the Shukan Gendai, that the shoplifting and her fatal fall were a plot by the Soka Gakkai, and that “the Soka Gakkai is conspiring with the Police Office.”
Politician’s Kin Target Soka Gakkai
The Japan Times, Nov. 25, 1995
The Soka Gakkai lodged a protest against the publisher of the Shukan Gendai for its series of false reports, and on September 12 filed a criminal complaint under Criminal Code Article 230 against Mr. Masahiko Motoki, the editor in chief and publisher, Daito and Naoko Asaki for their repeated groundless, defamatory accusations. Further, in October it filed suit against these three and the publishing company, Kodansha (Noma Sawako, President) in the Tokyo District Court, demanding that they publish an apology in the five major national newspapers and pay damages.
Soka Gakkai Files Complaint Against Weekly
The Japan Times, Sept. 13, 1995
Q & A With President Akiya
Sankei Shimbun, Sept. 22, 1995
The Police Investigation
On December 22, the Higashi Murayama branch of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department announced the final conclusion of their investigation into the death of Ms. Asaki. Finding no facts indicating that the death involved any crime, the police then sent a report to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office, Hachioji Branch, indicating that the death was the result of suicide by jumping.
Mr. Masaharu Yamada, Chief of the Higashi Murayama Police Office, announced that the case was being closed, saying, “there is no evidence indicating involvement by others in her death, and there are no grounds for a criminal investigation.”
In explaining this conclusion, Yamada cited the following factors:
(1) When Asaki was discovered lying on the ground by a restaurant worker, she said, “I’m all right,” and did not say anything to implicate others.
(2) There were no indications that a struggle had taken place at the site or could be inferred from the condition of her clothing.
(3) There were no suspicious individuals or vehicles reported in the area during the time of the incident.
Police: Assemblywoman Committed Suicide
Mainichi Daily News, Dec. 13, 1995
The LDP’s Tries to Score Points
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) nevertheless endeavored to exploit the accusations for political advantage during an extraordinary Diet session. [The Diet is Japan’s legislative body.] During the debates on revising the Religious Corporation Law, they referred to the Asaki case despite its lack of relevance to the proposed amendment. Moreover, the LDP members deliberately promoted the groundless impression that the Soka Gakkai is an anti-social organization like Aum Shinrikyo, drawing a parallel between the Asaki case and the alleged murder by Aum of lawyer Sakamoto and his family.
Disbandment Request Filed Against Soka Gakkai
Mainichi Daily News, Nov. 25, 1995
In addition, Former Transport Minister Shizuka Kamei, LDP public relations chief, stated that he exerted pressure on the police investigation, saying, “I questioned the Commissioner-General of the National Police Agency (NPA) and the Superintendent-General of the Metropolitan Police Department as to whether they lacked courage in handling this incident simply as a suicide case. Judging from the objective circumstances, it is clear that this should be handled as a possible murder” (Shukan Asahi, November 10 issue), and “I made a telephone call to Commissioner-General Kunimatsu of the NPA some days after the incident, and told him to ‘go ahead.’ (The Commissioner-General) answered, ‘I’ll do it properly.’ There is no reason for dealing leniently with this or any other case” (Shukan Hoseki, December 14 issue).
Although Kamei formerly worked in the police bureaucracy, he had no authority over the police department or the NPA.
Weekly Tabloids Continue to Mislead
In its May 2-9, 1996 issue, the weekly Shukan Shincho cited an article apparently intended to provide readers with an impression that the investigation into Asaki’s death -- which was determined by the law enforcement authorities as well as the insurance company as a suicide -- was unfairly carried out because the prosecutor was a graduate of Soka University.
Regarding this article, Minister of Justice Ritsuko Nagao, speaking at a press conference on April 26, denied this possibility and criticized the biased article. “The public prosecutor conducts his/her job based on the traditionally held impartial, disinterested and fair position. The article [in Shukan Shincho] is deplorable. An individual’s belief in any particular religion should not be questioned because it is guaranteed by the freedom of religion. The investigation and prosecution is carried out through the work of a public authority; its impartiality is guaranteed.”
A Request for the Soka Gakkai to Disband
On August 7, 1996, Daito and Naoko Asaki, together with their colleague Hozumi Yano, filed a libel suit against the top leaders of Soka Gakkai, police officials, the owner of the clothing store who accused Mrs. Asaki of shoplifting, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to the Tokyo District Court.
The complaint was made against an article that appeared in the Seikyo Shimbun on September 21, 1995, asserting that the content of the article is “damaging to the character and dignity of the complainants.” The three demanded compensation for damages and that the defendants publish an apology. (On Nov. 8, 2002, the Tokyo Supreme Court dismissed the final appeal, rejecting all charges filed by the Asakis and Yano.)
In Sept. 6, the three dropped their request to have an order for Soka Gakkai to be disbanded as a religious organization based on the Religious Corporation Law. Their arguments, based on groundless allegations, were submitted to the Tokyo District Court on November 1995. Neither the Asakis nor Mr. Yano appeared in court to present their views. Eventually, they dropped their complaint, but not before they had paraded their case in front of the press.
The Soka Gakkai is Cleared
Finally on April 14 1997, the Tokyo Prosecutor’s Office announced that the death of the late Councilwoman Asaki could not be considered a murder case because there was no evidence indicating a crime and “the probability of suicide is too high.”
On May 15, 2002, the Tokyo High Court upheld a lower court ruling that Daito and Naoko Asaki willfully defamed the Soka Gakkai. The Soka Gakkai filed the suit shortly after the tabloid articles appeared in the fall of 1995.
On May 18, 2001, the same court upheld earlier defamation rulings against the company that published the articles, Kodanasha, and former editor, Hasajiko Motoki, stating that they had “fostered the impression that the councilwoman’s death was not a suicide but a crime, with the Soka Gakkai illegally involved.”
On Oct. 29, 2002, the Tokyo Supreme Court dismissed the final appeal of both cases. The court ordered payment of damages and Kodansha to publish a retraction. (The official apology did not appear until March 8, 2003.)
Soka Gakkai Slag Far From the Truth
NOW (Toronto, Ontario Magazine), Aug., 7, 1997
Kodansha Loses Soka Gakkai Suit
The Daily Yomiuiri, July 21, 1999
Courts Rule Against Weeklies, Asaki Family in Higashi Murayama Libel Suits
SGI Office of Public Relations, May 18, 2001
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