#Kodama Yoshio

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Sun Myung Moon, anti-communism and the Japanese far right (1974)

▲ In 1974 Sun Myung Moon spent $350,000 on radio, TV, and other advertising to promote a major evangelical rally at Madison Square Garden to stimulate new support in the East. The event was held September 18 and attracted a large crowd of curious onlookers, hostile fundamentalists, leftist demonstrators, policemen, and atheists.

an extract from Korean Evangelism (1974)

The full article is available on WIOTM here:

https://whatisonthemoon.tumblr.com/post/720614563491561472/korean-evangelism-1974

... Reverend Sun Myung Moon, achieve notoriety when he announced last year in full page newspaper advertisements across the United States that President Nixon had been put into office by God and could be removed only by His will. Sun Myung Moon’s National Prayer and Fast Committee stuck by Nixon to the bitter end. (Thus did Moon inevitably meet Rabbi Korff, who then obligingly spoke before a Moon-affiliated organization on “The Fact of Communism and America’s Future.”10



The Reverend Moon is a new phenomenon in America, but not in Asia where his following now totals nearly a million people, concentrated in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Moon found his calling back in 1936 when Jesus Christ approached him on a mountainside and asked him to devote himself to God’s service as an evangelist. Moon waited until 1954, however, before organizing a new world religion, the Genri Undo, or Unification Church, formerly called the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity. (Detractors claim he got off to a slow start because of three arrests for sexual offenses. [1946, 1948 and 1955]) 11



Despite his wide following in Asia, and his whirlwind American tour last year, Moon has not attracted a wide following in the United States, where he can claim only about 25,000 supporters. Now that he can no longer lead the campaign to save President Nixon, Sun Myung Moon has fallen back on more traditional approaches. Recently he spent $350,000 on radio, TV, and other advertising to promote a major evangelical rally at Madison Square Garden to stimulate new support in the East. The event was held September 18 and attracted a large crowd of curious onlookers, hostile fundamentalists, leftist demonstrators, policemen, and atheists.12



Once described as a “Korean-style Elmer Gantry” but preferring the title, “God’s Hope for America,” the Reverend Moon preaches about the many dangers of communism along with his personal interpretations of the Bible. One Japanese source describes his movement as “less a religion than an anti-communist front group.” Rabbi Mark Tannenbaum of the American Jewish Committee observes that “Moon seems to be exploiting the emotional power of religion in order to indoctrinate his anti-communist ideology. The tragedy is that so many young people respond to this emotional appeal.” And he has predictably drawn fire from concerned clergymen, in the words of one, for his “seemingly cozy relationships with the dictatorial Park Chung Hee regime in South Korea.” In reply to these charges a Moon spokesman insists, “Many religions acknowledge the threat of Communism.”13



Sun Myung Moon can afford to lavishly finance his propaganda activities. Time estimated his personal fortune at $15 million, derived from investments in a tea company, titanium mines, retreat ranches, pharmaceutical firms, and shot gun manufacturers. Recently his Unification Church purchased several estates and an old seminary in New York for about $3 million. The question remains: is this vast international effort just a personal undertaking?14



Moon and his close associates are predictably silent, but disturbing evidence is emerging of his church’s close ties to anti-communist political organizations with less spiritual ends.



For example, Moon’s closest associate and English interpreter, Colonel Bo Hi Pak (“God’s Colonel”), formerly a Korean military attaché, has strong links to both Korean intelligence and the American CIA. He heads the Korean Cultural and Freedom Foundation (KCFF) which operates “Radio Free Asia,” possibly an outgrowth of a project by the American organization, Committee for a Free Asia (now the Asia Foundation), funded by the CIA. KCFF also conducts propaganda operations in Vietnam. Its legal counsel is none other than Robert Amory, Jr., former deputy director of the CIA. In 1962 Amory almost became head of the Asia Foundation (he was turned down to avoid blowing the CIA cover); now he is a law partner in Corcoran, Roley, Youngman & Rowe, a firm which has long handled the legal work for CIA proprietaries.15



The possibility of CIA involvement with a right-wing movement now entering the United States is frightening enough. But just as troubling are the close financial ties of Moon’s church to the world of wealthy neo-fascist Japanese capitalists, who seek not only a rollback of Communism but a new “Greater Asia” under the Emperor, based on the integration of Korea and Formosa into the Japanese orbit. In Japan, the chief financial backer and organizer of the Genri Undo is Sasagawa Ryoichi, the 75 year old former Class A war criminal. Back in 1931, with the notorious Kodama Yoshio, he formed a chauvinist patriotic party and intelligence organization that siphoned off enormous wealth from China during the Japanese occupation and ultimately provided much of the postwar financial backing for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. In 1939 he set in motion the negotiations leading to the Tripartite Pact between Japan, Germany, and Italy; three years later he was elected to the Diet on an ultranationalist platform of southward expansion. His stint in the Sagumo Prison after World War II for suspected war crimes set back his career only a short while, for he and fellow inmates like Kodama Yoshio and former Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke used their influence and time to plan the resurrection of the postwar Japanese Right.16



Both Sasagawa and Kodama still exercise enormous influence in Japan, and are described as “kuromaku” – powers behind the throne. The New York Times description of Kodama applies identically to Sasagawa: “Yoshio Kodama is among the most powerful men in Japan. He was instrumental in founding the nation’s governing party, he has had a hand in naming several Premiers, he has settled dozens of disputes among top businessmen. He also commands the allegiance of Japan’s ultra-right wing and has strong influence over the yakuza, or gangsters, of the underworld here.”17 Both are dedicated to restoring the power of the Emperor and crushing opposition to the Right.



Sasagawa, as president of the Japan-Indonesia Association and Japan-Philippine Association, both reminiscent of the prewar imperialist South Seas Association, has helped to spearhead the southward Japanese commercial advance in Asia. He funded the anti-Sukarno forces which organized the Indonesian coup d’état of September 30, 1965; he likewise supported the Lon Nol faction which overthrew King Sihanouk in Cambodia in 1970, and arranged for Japanese economic aid to prop up the new government. Currently he is active in strengthening Japanese ties with the strategic Arabian peninsula, through his Japan-Oman Association. Most significantly, Sasagawa has long been a leading light in the Asian Peoples’ Anti-Communist League, and was behind the recent organization of the World Anti-Communist League. With his vast fortune acquired from shipbuilding, gambling, and organized crime, Sasagawa not only influences the Japanese government but acts as a powerful force in all of “Greater Asia.” His support of Moon’s Unification Church is thus just one of many elements in the constellation of interlocking activities surrounding the Japanese, Asian, and world right-wing movements which still thrive in many forms.


...

Sources William Turner, Power Out the Right (Berkeley: Ramparts Press, 1971); Jane Kramer, “Letter From Guyana,” New Yorker (September 16, 1974), pp. 100-128; Cheddi Japan, The West on Trial (London, 1966), p. 307.


Footnotes

...

10. On Korff’s close relationship to Moon, see Washington Post, July 25, 1974; New York Post, September 16, 1974. Rabbi Korff’s latest project is to force Congress to impose severe curbs on the media, which he blames for President Nixon’s downfall (Washington Post, August 17, 1974).

11. Daily News (New York), September 13, 1974; Christianity Today, March 1, 1974, pp. 101-02; AMPO, Winter, 1974, p. 43; New York Times, September 16, 1974; Village Voice, September 12, 1974. Estimates vary as to the size of Moon’s worldwide following; Moon’s chief associate put the figure at over two million (New York Times, September 16, 1974).

[ Ewha Womans University sex scandal and Sun Myung Moon as told in the 1955 newspapers  

Sun Myung Moon found guilty in 1955; started two year jail sentence ]

12. New York Times, September 16, 1974 (including full-page advertisement on p. 40); Daily News, September 13, 1974; New York Times, September 19, 1974; UPI dispatch, September 19, 1974; Wall Street Journal, September 20, 1974.

13. AMPO, Winter, 1974, p. 43; New York Post, September 16, 1974. Moon’s organization has created a number of secular anti-communist front groups including the International Federation for Victory over Communism, the World Freedom Institute, and the Freedom Leadership Foundation. The South Korean Government sends its civil servants to an anti-communist indoctrination center in Seoul operated by the Church (Village Voice, September 12, 1974; New York Times, September 17, 1974).

14. Time, October 15, 1973, pp. 129-30; Daily News, September 13, 1974; Christianity Today, March 1, 1974, pp. 101-02. Moon’s church is worth “far more” than Moon’s personal $15 million (New York Times, September 16, 1974).

15. Village Voice, September 12, 1974; Steve Weissman and John Shoch, “CIAsia Foundation,” Pacific Research, September~October, 1972. One of Corcoran’s earliest projects for the CIA was representing Chennault’s Civil Air Transport, now Air America. CIA officials deny any ties to Moon’s Unification Church, but funding of the Church remains mysterious (Wall Street Journal, September 20, 1974).

16. AMPO, Winter, 1974, p. 43; New York Times, July 2, 1974; Don Kurzman, Kishi and Japan (Astor-Honor).

17. New York Times, July 2, 1974. Sasagawa has been implicated in recent Japanese election irregularities. See Far Eastern Economic Review, September 6, 1974, p. 28.

18. AMPO, Winter, 1974, pp. 43-5.

__________________________________

Sun Myung Moon organization activities in Central & South America

1. Introduction 2. ‘Illegal Aliens Joining Moonies’ – The Pittsburg Press 3. Moon’s ‘Cause’ Takes Aim At Communism in the Americas – Washington Post 4. Moon in Latin America: Building the Bases of a World Organisation – Guardian 5. Guatemala 6. Nicaragua 7. Honduras 8. Costa Rica 9. Bolivia 10. Uruguay 11. Paraguay 12. Brazil

__________________________________

Politics and religion interwoven

Contents
 1. Shadows on Rev. Moon’s beams. Politics and religion interwoven.
    Chicago Tribune – Sunday, November 10, 1974 2. Howling at the Moon – Chicago Reader Weekly  Friday, November 22, 1974 3. Messiah Sun Myung Moon on the Run 4. The Unification Church: Christian Church or Political Movement?
– by Wi Jo Kang (1976) 5. Moon’s Sect Pushes Pro-Seoul Activities – by Ann Crittenden
.   The New York Times,  May 25, 1976 6. Panel Told Seoul Used Followers of Sun Myung Moon for Protests
.   The New York Times,  June 7, 1978 7. Unification Church Protected by the Regime in South Korea
.    週刊ポスト  Shūkan Post magazine  October 15, 1993 8. American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit 
in the House of Bush – by Kevin Phillips (2004) 9. Missing Pieces of the Story of Sun Myung Moon
– by Frederick Clarkson (2012) 10. Sun Myung Moon was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
It seems the manufacture of Moon’s ‘Autobiography’ was an attempt to promote Moon for the Nobel Peace Prize. However, the publisher of the book was jailed for four years for fraud – for buying books from stores to push the book up the best-seller list, and for other financial crimes. 11. ‘Privatizing’ Covert Action: The Case of the Unification Church
Dr. Jeffrey M. Bale   Lobster #21.   May 1991 
Introduction

__________________________________

The Sun Myung Moon church – Jane Day Mook & Hiroshi Yamaguchi (1974 & 1975)

#Sun Myung Moon #VOC #IFVOC #anti-communism #WACL #APACL #Kishi Nobusuke #Sasakawa Ryoichi #Kodama Yoshio

[whatisonthemoon]

A solid episode from Things Observed providing a brief overview of the World Anti-Communist League

In this episode we cover the origins of the world anti-communist league starting with the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations and the Asian Peoples Anti-Communist League. This group brings together nazi collaborators from the Ustasha, Iron Guard and the Organization of Ukranian Nationalists. We also cover War Criminals from the days of the Imperial Japanese some of whom we've previously discussed in the Blood and Gold series on the Golden Lily Operation such as Yoshio Kodama and Ryochi Sasakawa. Some of the characters we find in the WACL would be involved not only with fascist movements across the world but would also peddle opium. We discuss the Kuomintang party's connection the world opium trade and the little-known fact that Chiang Kai-Shek's country was a narco-state that worked alongside the Civil Air Transport and the CIA and how the National Crime Syndicate would get in on the action as well. Oh, and how can I forgot to mention the Moonie connection!

Sources:

VISUP: Secret Societies, Narcoterrorism, International Fascism and the World Anti-Communist League Part I (visupview.blogspot.com) - Recluse

Inside the League: The Shocking Expose of How Terrorists, Nazis, and Latin American Death Squads Have Infiltrated the World Anti-Communist League - Scott Anderson and Jon Lee Anderson

Gold Warriors: America’s Secret Recovery of Yamashita’s Gold - Sterling and Peggy Seagrave

One Nation Under Blackmail Vol I - Whitney Webb

Opium and the Politics of Gangsterism - Jonathan Marshall

History of the Opium Problem: The Assault on the East - Hans Derks

The Politics of Heroin - Alfred McCoy

#fascism #right-wing politics #wacl #world anti-communist league #drug trafficking #drug trade #nazis #crime #sasakawa #ryoichi sasakawa #yoshio kodama #ukraine #asian peoples anti-communist league #anti-bolshevik bloc of nations #Chiang Kai-shek #unification church in taiwan #moonies #unification church #podcast #anti-communism #counterinsurgency #parapolitics #parapolitical

[jakethesequel]

Things on my mind today because school research:

(Tldr: The Japanese government is dominated by a single party founded and maintained by a semi-secret society of fascists, former war criminals, ultranationalists, yakuza, cultists, and billionaires; brought together by CIA anti-communism efforts.)

Japan has had one political party in power almost continuously since 1955, only stepping down for a total 4 non-consective years: the broadly conservative Liberal Democratic Party

The LDP was formed by a merger between the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party. Instrumental in this was politician Nobusuke Kishi, a Democratic Party official formerly high up in the Liberal Party. He would represent the LDP as Japan's Prime Minister from 1957-1960

Previously, Mr. Kishi had been a minister in the government of Imperial Japan, considered a protégé of General Tōjō. Post-war he was imprisoned by the Allied Forces under charges of "class A" war crimes for being a major planner of the Japanese war effort. Other fascists held in the same cell were ultranationalist yakuza boss Yoshio Kodama, anti-communist millionaire and billionaire-to-be Ryōichi Sasakawa, and former Yomiuri Shinbun (Japan's preeminent conservative newspaper) owner Matsurarō Shōriki. The bonds they formed in Sugamo prison would become a lifelong secret society influencing Japanese politics.

All four were released from prison without ever facing trial for their war crimes charges. Why? The CIA was very concerned about communist influence in East Asia, and figured letting a handful of fascists go free would give them a very useful tool to suppress socialist movements in Japan.

Mr. Shōriki went on to found Japan's first commercial television broadcaster, Nippon TV. A few years later he became the first chairman of Prime Minister Kishi's new Japanese Atomic Energy Commission. Declassified documents have revealed that he did both those things because the CIA suggested that Japan should have a pro-US TV channel across the nation, and wanted to bring Japan into the sphere of influence of US nuclear technology

Mr. Kodama again became a leader in Japanese organized crime, bringing together a coalition of ultranationalist paramilitaries and yakuza families all committed to a shared right-wing ideology. With his thugs he broke strikes, beat protestors, threatened journalists, managed bribes, and laundered a ton of money, all in service of the LDP and the CIA. At least, until 1976, where he was publicly outed as the main facilitator for Lockheed Martin bribing its way into major Japanese government contracts to the tune of millions of dollars.

Mr. Sasakawa got mega rich off of rebuilding Japan's wartorn infrastructure and establishing a gambling industry. He called himself "the world's richest fascist." He funneled his profits into international political interest groups, like the World Anti-Communist League he founded with his buddies Syngman Rhee of South Korea and Chiang Kai-Shek of Taiwan.

Mr. Sasakawa's activist groups attracted the attention of Korean cult leader Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church. The UC's eccentric adaptation of Christianity has a very political theology, and before anything else it's devoutly anti-communist. Mr. Sasakawa became a major financial supporter of the Church, and helped establish its presence in Japan. He connected Mr. Moon with Mr. Kishi, bringing him into the extended Sugamo circle.

Even after his reign as PM, Mr. Kishi remained a central figure in LDP decision-making. He and Mr. Sasakawa developed close ties between the cult and the LDP, and made sure they were regularly maintained. The LDP used Moonies as unpaid campaign assistants, and in exchange Japan became the primary source of the UC's financial support. The UC helped the LDP spread, and the LDP helped the UC spread, growing both.

When Mr. Sasakawa died, his son-in-law Shintarō Abe became the main ambassador of the UC-LDP alliance, which was stronger than ever. When Shintarō Abe died, his son Shinzō Abe (Mr. Kishi's grandson) took over managing UC-LDP affairs. The younger Mr. Abe became the LDP's Prime Minister of Japan from 2007-2008, had a second term from 2012-2020, and faced the consequences of his actions in 2022

Ps: If I've said anything incorrect or unsupported here do let me know, I'm working on an essay.

[jpf-sydney]

Kodama Yoshio

New item:

Shelf: 289.1 KOD Kodama Yoshio : kyokai no Shōwa shi by Arima Tetsuo. Tōkyō : Bungei Shunjū, 2013. 380 pages ; 18 cm. (Bunshun shinsho) Includes bibliographical references (pages 370-377). ISBN: 9784166609048

#kodama yoshio #biography #history #political activists #new 2019 04 #jstudies

[peashooter85]

The Last Kamikaze

Born in 1947 Mitsuyasu Maeno was a down on his luck actor who just couldn't seem to score a big role. He had a troubled personal life, undergoing two marriages that ended in divorce and surviving a suicide attempt. Unable to make movie stardom, he settled into a career as a porn star, playing roles in 20 films. You might remember him from such films as Tokyo Emmanuelle (1975), a film most famous for the lead actress having sex with an entire soccer team.

Maeno was also a staunch right wing ultra-nationalist, who believed in the ideals of bushido, supported the overthrow of the Japanese constitution, and wanted a return to the authoritarian and nationalistic government of Japan that existed before World War II. One of his greatest heroes was Yukio Mishima, a Japanese writer who in 1970 attempted a coup by taking the commander of a military base hostage. He forced the commander to assemble the base personnel, who he intended to win to his cause with an impassioned and rousing speech. Rather than overwhelming support, Mishima was met with laughs and jeers. In one final act to inspire the soldiers to his cause he produced a dagger and committed ritual seppuku, the traditional suicide of the samurai where the person stabs himself in the abdomen and disembowels himself. This likewise failed to garner any support, and thus the coup ended in failure.

Another of Maeno's heroes was the politician Yoshio Kodama.

Kodama was a war criminal and yakuza gangster turned politician who often worked as a fixer for other right wing politicians and political groups. Of course, Kodama was super duper corrupt and it's no surprise when in 1976 he was caught bribing Japanese officials on behalf of the Lockheed corporation so that Lockheed could get some good deals on selling airplanes in Japan. Kodama was also perpetually under investigation for tax fraud.

Of course I say that Kodama's corruption was no surprise to many, but to Maeno the scandal was shocking and soul crushing. Maeno saw the scandal as a betrayal of Japanese honor and ideals, and vowed to rain divine wind on Kodama as revenge for his treason. Maeno was also an amateur pilot, who often used this skill in his many films. In fact in one film he even had sex with the actress Kumi Taguchi while simultaneously flying a plane, which I have to say ... that's a pretty impressive piloting skill! Over the span of a couple weeks he flew a plane over Kodama's house in order to recon the area.

On March 23rd, 1976 Maeno and two friends rented two planes at Chofu Airport in Tokyo. All three were dressed in World War II Japanese pilot uniforms. Airport officials were, of course, suspicious because of this but the three men claimed they were filming a World War II movie. Before taking off, Maeno posed for a photograph with his rented Piper Cherokee airplane while in full kamikaze regalia.

Maeno and his friends flew to Kodama's home, making a few passes before settling on a route of attack. Maeno began a dive while his friends in the other plane filmed the event. Maeno shouted over the radio "Long live the Emperor!" before crashing into the second story of Kodama's home.

Fortunately for Kodama, he survived the kamikaze attack as he was situated in the first floor of the house, the second floor having sustained the brunt of the damage. The Japanese government was never able to make any tax fraud charges stick and he was never punished for his role in the Lockheed scandal. He died of a stroke in 1984.

#history #suicide #kamikaze #mitsuyasu maeno #fail #weird #weird history

[jukbox]

Yoshio Takeuchi et Kenji Kodama, Cat’s Eyes, 1983-1985, série télévisée adaptée du manga de Tsukasa Hōjō et Asai Shingo

#cat's eyes #Asai Shingo #Tsukasa Hōjō #Kenji Kodama #Yoshio Takeuchi #japan #manga #animation #sexy #soundtrack #キャッツ♥アイ

[wearepurplejackets]

Kanto Manji Kai...

"The Kantō-kai (関東会) was a Japanese underworld organization formed by Yoshio Kodama in 1964, and named for the Kantō region from which it drew most of its membership. Kodama envisioned the Kantō-kai as a secret national police force, with the aim of forwarding the far right-wing views he and other organized criminals woften held.

Kodama had originally envisioned a Japan-wide gangster society, but in 1963 Kazuo Taoka withdrew his powerful Kansai-based Yamaguchi-gumi gang, leaving Kodama with a Kantō-heavy organization.

The group disbanded in January 1965, after only fifteen months, but was a crucial step in uniting the many post-war gangs into a more coherent entity (the modern yakuza) instead of disparate, warring factions."

Okay Wakui...

#:O #Whatthef #tokyo revengers #mikey sano #tokyo manji gang #kanto manji gang #tokyo manji revengers #mikey tokyo revengers #manjiro sano #draken #takemichi hanagaki #tokrev #tokyo revengers manga #tokyo revengers theory #manga #mikey #mikey x takemichi #tokrev mikey #sano mikey manjiro #mikey x you #mikey x y/n #tokyo revengers mikey #mikey headcanon #toman #mikey angst #takemichi #takemitchy #tokyo revengers 237 #seriously wtf

[aiiaiiiyo]

Japanese pornstar and ultranationalist Mitsuyasu Maeno poses next to his plane before flying of to Kamikaze his aircraft into the home of right wing politician Yoshio Kodama, 23rd March 1976. [192x262] Check this blog!

#babacan5656 #historyporn #history

[hardcore-gaming-101]

Digital version of Untold History of Japanese Game Developers Vol. 3 now available

Previously, the third volume of the Untold History of Japanese Game Developers was only available in paperback, but a digital version for Kindle has now been released on Amazon. It’s $6.99 to purchase, or is available to read for free with Kindle Unlimited. It should be available on all international Amazon sites as well.

This final volume in the series has interviews with staff from Falcom (Yoshio Kiya of Dragon Slayer), Bullet Proof Software (Henk Rogers of The Black Onyx), Compile/Raizing (Yuichi Toyama of MUSHA, Spriggan, and Sorcer Striker), Square (Nasir Gebelliand Takashi Tokita, of Final Fantasy, among many others), and Sega (Youji Ishii of Fantasy Zone, Yutaka Sugano of Shinobi, Naoto Ohshima of Sonic the Hedgehog, Kotaro Hayashida of Alex Kidd, Rieko Kodama of Phantasy Star), and many others! The complex table of contents is listed here.

#hardcore gaming 101 #kurt kalata #news #the untold history of japanese game developers #books #literature #video games

[barcelona-sergei]

Haru Katō : Clandestine

disclaimer: this short fanfic is based only on the 2 episodes of FKB:U that has been aired so far. the events and some characters are solely my work and no spoilers from the actual series. if i have misjudged the characters mentioned once new episodes are released, please kindly understand. 

Chapter 2 

Word count: 5.3k  

The detective woke up from his deep slumber. Dazed, he did his usual routine for work then. Buttoning one of his white dress shirts, sloppily doing his tie, slipping on his grey slacks, belt, his cozy brown jacket and styling his bed hair into something presentable. Upon slipping on his dress shoes, Haru drove off to his workplace. 

Parking his car near the headquarters with a tumbler of coffee, Haru was not aware of his surroundings just yet. Sleep still resting in his brain. A car had been tailing the tired policeman, stalkers of his hiding their faces. 

[Y/N] strutted her way to the headquarters of the metropolitan police department to have a meeting with the chief and her commissioner. Her unprompted partner from the night before came into her line of sight, letting a small smile grace her beautiful face. About to raise her hand to wave at Haru, her peripheral caught another familiar face from the party. 

A not so welcome and friendly face. 

The woman examined the tailing car, concluding that the faces of the two men belong to the kingpin’s son, Kodama Yashiro, and a dog under him. She questioned and cursed in her mind, how the fuck did they find us so fast? 

Hopefully it was just a coincidence, rather than hunting her beloved Haru. 

[Y/N] hastily moved towards Haru to meet at the entrance of headquarters, startling the detective. The cogs in his brain still aren’t warmed up enough to function properly. She hooked her arm through Haru’s and harshly pulled the man against her once more, using the wall of the building as a shield. 

“[Y/N]?!” Haru yelled incredulously and stared at the agent with wide eyes. 

But the agent didn’t pay attention to him. Taking a peek from behind the wall, [Y/N] confirmed her unfortunate suspicions. She took out her phone and discreetly snapped pictures of the two men, as proof for her upcoming meeting. Now her plan to make Haru join the operation solidified. The woman wordlessly kept their linked arms, walking inside the headquarters for safekeeping. 

Now in their shielded work environment, [Y/N] snatched her arm away with a deep frown, upset eyes staring into Haru’s golden ones. The man swallowed thickly, tensing underneath the intimidating gaze from the woman’s. Her mauve lips moved, “Haru-chan, did you know you were being followed?” 

The man was sweating bullets at this point, he couldn’t recollect any signs of being tailed this morning to save his life, literally. Taking his silence as an answer, the agent clicked her tongue and led the way to Haru’s office. 

“Who was following me?” Haru sheepishly asked, one other question itching to come out. But he held his tongue and just accepted [Y/N]’s presence in headquarters. “My dearest, Kodama Yashiro and one of his men were the ones following you,” [Y/N] handed her unlocked phone, Haru instantly recognizing the men in the picture. 

“HAH? How did they find me already?” Haru’s outburst caught his colleagues’ attention, his question falling quieter with each word. “I’m not too sure. I just hope it was a coincidence they saw you in the streets then followed,” [Y/N] thought out loud. The agent eyed the tumbler in the detective’s hand, desperately needing caffeine to fuel her brain due to the turn of events. Haru followed her gaze down to his hand. 

“And I’m here to meet with Takei-san and the commissioner.” She continued, answering his non-verbal question. It’s as if she could read his mind. Haru mutely nodded and handed his slightly sipped drink, the woman gratifyingly taking a swig of the energizing beans. The woman before him stopped in front of his designated office, opening the door. 

“I’ll see you later, if this meeting goes well,” she motioned for him to enter, the man nodding as an understanding and a farewell, coffee now back in his hand. The door shut behind him, Haru instantly felt prying eyes on him. Shunned silence… “What?” 

“WHAT? That’s it? Are you not gonna explain who that hot babe is?!” Kamei screeched as the detective sat down at his desk. His over-dramatic choice of friends might be the death of him. Haru shrugged, “she’s an acquaintance.” The detective very much so lied, for [Y/N] was nowhere near an acquaintance. But he needed to tread lightly on this topic because it may come back and bite him in the ass. 

“Yeah right! I heard her say ‘see you later.’” The blond detective air quoted with a high-pitched voice to mimic a woman’s, exaggerating [Y/N]’s farewell. Haru could only roll his eyes at the dramatic blond, “just get back to work Kamei.” 

But Kamei scoffed in response, “you’re really gonna say that? Am I the only one who cares about this?” The blond man’s outburst was met with silence from his co-workers. No one was actually listening to his and Haru’s bickering. 

Kamei sighed in defeat and grudgingly went back to work. 

“I have successfully transferred files to this hard-drive from one of the main bases,” the agent slid the brown sealed bag towards her superiors. The authoritative men nodded in approval and the commissioner put away the vital piece for their operation. 

“About Inspector Katō, my suspicions were proven correct right before we clocked in this morning. Kodama Yashiro and one dog stalked the Inspector.” Chief Takei visibly and the commissioner rubbed his temples. Commissioner Mitsuhiro leaned forward from his couch, “what do you propose to do, agent?” 

The cunning woman repressed a satisfied smirk, her plan laying out right before her. “Let Inspector Katō join us. I strongly believe he is reliable, he can be an asset in this operation. A positive effect is I can protect him the entire operation, which I promise on my badge.” [Y/N] laid out her proposal with confidence, cowering away now won’t get her anywhere with the brass. 

Her words weighed heavily on both men, silent quick thinking to outweigh the pros and cons of the agent’s proposition. Chief Takei deeply thought about his precious subordinate, if he was risking Haru’s wellbeing by accepting. 

“In my opinion, I do not see any flaws for the Inspector to join and I am confident in my agent. It is your final decision Takei-dono, he is one of your men.” The attention now shifted on Chief Takei’s thinking form. The chief removed his hand from his face and straightened his back, giving a slight nod to the agent in front of him: 

“We’ll make it a collaboration between the detective division and the cipher pol division.” 

Satisfied, [Y/N] leaned back on her designated seat. Chief Takei dialled the detective division and commanded instructions through the phone. 

“Katō-kun, Kambe. Make your way to Takei-kun’s office please.” Chief Kiyomazu states with cheer, before tinkering away with his plastic model ship. Haru sighed and led the way to the Division 1 head office, with Daisuke stepping next to the taller detective. 

“Your acquaintance has good taste,” Daisuke oddly commented. “What?” Haru’s eyebrow arched in question, weirded out that the rich short stack made small talk. Reasons beyond Haru’s mind, his annoyance against Kambe doubled with that comment towards his ‘acquaintance.’ 

“The Valentino cape. Looks flattering on her.” 

“Thanks…?”

The small talk awkwardly died, for the two men arrived at the door of the Division 1 head office. The taupe-haired detective knocked twice and immediately received a muffled approval to enter. Speaking of the devil, the woman with the supposed Valentino cape sat on one of the couches. [Y/N] locked eyes with bright golden ones that she dearly loves, then catching the gaze of piercing blue eyes, the infamous Kambe she did her research on. 

“Let’s rid of formalities. Inspector Katō, due to your involvement with Cipher Pol’s operation against the yakuza Kodama Yoshio, Commissioner Mitsuhiro and I agreed for you to join.” The hairs on the back of Haru’s neck stood at Chief Takei’s command. The detective doesn’t know if he’s excited, confused or scared of this outcome. [Y/N] and Kambe? He might actually go crazy. 

“You will be working with the main squad to take down the final boss. Inspector Kambe you will be working with the tactical team in destroying the farms, your work was impressive with the drug cases of celebrities.” Haru nodded stiffly, glancing towards the scheming woman. [Y/N] returned his glance with a hidden smirk. Daisuke let out a small smirk and nodded, excited for his new assignment to test out new technology. 

“You will be briefed once you arrive at your respective teams. Your participation immediately begins today, don’t slack off at this important collaboration.” Chief Takei firmly commanded, face darkened with seriousness. Both men thought the meeting was over, before the commissioner spoke: 

“This is a confidential operation, only personnel in this room, your respective squads and your original division are aware of this case. If a single breath is leaked, you will be faced with irreversible consequences.” 

The atmosphere in the room grew incredibly heavier with Commissioner Mitsuhiro’s grim threat. The police officials remained in silence, until Chief Takei cleared his throat, “one more thing, Inspector Katō.” 

“This is what you get for being such a stickler to justice and sticking your nose in other people’s business, your life’s in danger!” Kamei scolded as Haru’s ears were about to fall off. The rest of his co-workers looked at him with such worry. Nonetheless the detective continued packing his things from his desk. 

“If you’re not gonna help me pack then don’t make this harder for me and shut up.” Haru huffed with annoyance, earning an equally annoyed huff back from his blond friend. He could still feel the concerned gazes on him. Mahoro finally broke into loud wails that she’s been fighting off, flinging herself unto Haru. The detective stumbled back, a light blush dusting his cheeks from the sudden contact. 

“Katō-kun! You have to be really careful ok?!” Mahoro cried out. Haru awkwardly patted the small woman’s back, quite unsure how to comfort a crying Mahoro. A frail hand petted Haru’s messy locks, the respected detective Nakamoto gently looking up to Haru: “You must come back to us alive and well.” 

Haru chuckled at his colleagues’ overreaction, “to ease your minds, I’ve been assigned a security detail. They’ll keep me safe.” As if she functions life clockwork, the aforementioned security detail opened the office door. Now all eyes are on the mysterious woman. 

[Y/N] scanned the shabby office, her blank expression turning to a deep frown the second time today. Her sharp eyes zeroed on the pink-haired woman’s arms that were around someone too comfortably, igniting the ugly emotion of jealousy through the agent’s veins. Haru could see the dark fiery aura emitting from [Y/N]’s body, puzzled why the woman was in such a bad mood.  

With the shake of her head, the woman kept her emotions in check and rid of such a childish feeling. She then proceeded to display her badge, “My code name is Agent Velia. I am here to escort Inspector Katō as a security detail and to provide safekeeping. Pleasure to meet you.” The woman bowed after her introduction. 

Much to [Y/N]’s delight, Mahoro removed herself from Haru to shake hands with [Y/N]. The detectives crowded around the agent, one by one introducing themselves. Then bombarded the poor agent with questions that she either couldn’t answer due to confidentiality or to protect her identity and lectures on keeping the beloved Haru safe. 

“Alright everyone, stop interviewing her. We have to go, we’ll be off now!” With loud protests from his colleagues, Haru exclaimed his farewell and grabbed [Y/N]’s hand to escape from the noisy bunch. 

“For your maximum comfort, you have the choice where to stay. You can remain in your own place but that means I stay there with you.” [Y/N] explained the protocol of security detailing as the couple walked to the rear exit of the headquarters, the destination being [Y/N]’s ride. It was decided to leave his car for a while in the care of the department, having a high risk of being tailed. 

The man silently contemplated his decision. His place isn’t exactly a top notch residential space. Decently safe area, only a few drug deals here and there, his apartment could put up a fight from break-ins and has livable facilities. 

“Let’s go to my place first.” 

Ah, his worries about his place became evident as the two officials stepped foot in the genkan. Having two people removing their footwear at the same time was rather cramped. The hallway was even a bit too narrow. The agent noticed how the doorknob easily rattled. She noticed the dainty windows that are spelled out as an entrance to intruders. The living room was not spacious enough to run from an attacker. A flimsy door that’s supposed to be a barricade to the single bedroom from the rest of the apartment. 

The woman didn’t want to judge her friend’s living condition, but it was far from ideal for a safe home. Haru didn’t need to hear her words to know this wasn’t the safest place for his life. “Haru.” The man turned to look at her. 

“We can stay at my house.” If you’d like… Haru finished the sentence for her. The two didn’t need long winded explanations from the other, what they shared in the past simply enough to know what’s on the other’s mind. The detective nodded and went inside his bedroom. Normally he’d be a stubborn spitfire and immediately refuse such a bogus suggestion. Heck, even he wouldn’t want a security detail watching his every move. 

Though his childishness knows a limit. He’s neck deep in a life threatening matter. Sure, being in the front lines is already a near death experience, but being targeted by the yakuza was a whole new level of experience. The man may be stubborn, but he knows to put absolute trust in [Y/N], no matter what.

[Y/N] examined the living room and settled her gaze on a picture frame. She stepped closer and held the frame, nostalgia crashing through her. A photograph of their graduation day. Her and Haru in their police uniforms, styled to the nines and saluted the camera man. The woman let loose a good old smile, the same one as the photograph staring back at her, touched that the detective still treasured their memories together. 

She was relieved she wasn’t alone. 

Haru silently stared at [Y/N], golden eyes softening with upturned lips. She still had the carbon copy fox smile of hers, canines slightly peeking from her plush lips and her eyes expressing the smile too. 

“We ready to go?” The detective broke the ambience, startling the agent a tiny bit. She turned to look at him, though she didn’t bother hiding the grin from her face, which he was truly grateful for. He wasn’t sure if he was seeing things, cause he thought her [E/C] eyes sparkled more. If that was even possible. 

“Is that all you need?” [Y/N] gawked at the singular large duffel bag on the detective’s shoulder. Haru shrugged, “dress shirts, slacks, underwear, toiletries and pajamas. Just the necessities.” The woman scoffed with disbelief, “Haru-chan you know this operation can take a month or more.” 

“You have a washing machine and dryer don’t you?” The man answered back with retort, leading the way out of his apartment with the woman towing behind. “Dear, hate to break it to you but we have a dress policy. I’ll purchase a few suits for you.” Now it was Haru’s turn to click his tongue in annoyance, [Y/N]’s words reminded him too much of a certain black-haired man. 

“One is fine. I have an old suit I can wear.” 

“And you need a whole wardrobe of disguises whenever we go undercover or in public.” 

“[Y/N]-kun, I’ll make do with my own purchased clothes.” The woman could only bite her tongue against Haru’s frugality. 

“No this is for your safety too. I have a friend who can give us a discount. We’re settling you first in my house then we’re going shopping. No arguments.” [Y/N] stated with finality and slamming the trunk shut, strutting to the driver’s seat before Haru could process her command. The man opened his mouth in protest, then just closing it again: speechless. Indeed he had no arguments, so he sat in the passenger seat in defeat. 

The small dispute between the officials ended with the agent as the victor. 

The drive felt short as the two filled in the other of the past 4 years of each other’s lives, with a hint of banter and casual flirting. Soon enough, the car entered a secluded hill then the agent’s villa came into the picture. [Y/N] entered the garage, killing the engines. Haru could only let his jaw hang and marvel at the impressive building [Y/N] called home. The officials emerged from the garage into the main foyer with Haru’s belongings in hand. 

“Xander, with me, is Inspector Katō. He will be living here indefinitely. Make sure to recognize his face.” [Y/N] spoke to no one in particular, immensely confusing the hell out of the man. Kinda scared him because he didn’t want his face to be documented. 

“Don’t worry Haru-chan, Xander is a personalized virtual assistant from a friend in the technology division. He’s kinda a robot butler cause I don’t want to hire one.” [Y/N] explained as if it was the most common thing to own in the world. Haru just dumbly nodded. 

“Now let’s give you a tour of the Veila Villa!” The agent exclaimed with excitement and tugged the detective along. In the span of 30 minutes, Haru’s mind couldn’t comprehend how one woman could own such an automated grand home. Damn, his bank account was ashamed. It slightly irked him how [Y/N]’s home really reminded him of a certain flashy detective. 

The tour ended in Haru’s appointed room. It was bigger than his whole apartment. The detective plopped down on the cloudy king-sized bed, feeling the mattress dip above his head. Haru turned his head towards the high-ceiling windows. The second floor gave a fantastic view of the small woods that expanded to the cityscape. 

“How’d you manage to get this awesome place?” Haru asked quietly, entranced by the blue skies and floating clouds. [Y/N] let out a sigh and lay on her side, hand supporting her head. “The technology is from amazing friends, I agreed to be their guinea pig. As for the lot, the government offered it to me as compensation, as long as it can be a safe environment to experiment new inventions…” The woman answered with minute hesitance, which the man caught on to. 

[Y/N]’s hand found itself playing with taupe locks, as she pondered whether to shut up now or tell Haru the whole truth. Haru relaxed under the gentle touches of the woman and waited patiently for her to finish her story. 

“I nearly died twice undercover,” [Y/N] trailed off somberly. Terrifying memories flashed through her mind in an instant, but she felt numb. Her heart no longer clenched in pain nor did her body remember agonizing inflictions. Haru’s eyes enlarged and immediately sat up. He looked down on the lying form of the woman, looking for the sparkle in her eyes. But was met with dulled pairs. 

Haru stroked her soft tresses and lay down in front of [Y/N], then enveloping his arms around her body. Haru pulled her close. [Y/N] closed her eyes and delved in Haru’s comforting body warmth, placing her hands on his toned chest. The detective’s hand ran through the long locks of the agent, as if time was turned back for the couple, this scene of comfort replayed. 

Serenity dwelled in their presence. 

“Do you want to eat first?” The woman whispered into his chest, afraid to ruin the peaceful atmosphere. The man nodded, “I’ll make something.” The woman’s heart leaped in joy, about to taste the legendary cooking of Katō Haru once again. 

The detective led the way to the kitchen, like he owned the villa, rummaging through the stocked fridge then setting to whip up a meal. [Y/N] placed herself on one of the stools of the kitchen island, face resting in her hands to watch the man do his thing. 

“Why’d you get such a big place?” Haru piqued with interest, spreading the oil on the pan. The woman’s cheeks dusted with pink and turned away to hide her blushing face from the man. Haru wouldn’t miss it for the world to see the usually collected [Y/N] to be flustered, laughing at her reaction. 

“Why are you pink? Is it that embarrassing?” 

The woman fanned herself with her hands and exhaled a breath to calm herself. “Kicking out the government, I plan to live here with the love of my life and have a family.” [Y/N] locked eyes with Haru, in her heart every word was meant just for him. Haru’s eyes dilated, the same pink gracing his cheeks and the hairs on his nape stood in attention. He was now flustered too, drinking up [Y/N]’s every word to heart. 

“Oh what the hell, it's not even worth getting worked up on. That’s a normal thing to want.” Haru plated their meals. 

“It is a bit. I’m already twenty-nine but marriage seems like a fever dream for me.” [Y/N] helped bring their meals to the dining table. The man made a mental note of that, having an idea of a plan for the end of the operation. 

The two officials ate their lunch, the woman complimenting the man’s impeccable cooking skills. Soon enough they hit the road again, the destination to [Y/N]’s frequented boutique. “[Y/N]-kun you really don’t have to do this.” Haru whined in protest as the agent entered a rather boujee automated revolving door. 

The two officials are now surrounded by rows, mannequins and racks of lavish articles of clothing. The detective felt he stuck out like a sore thumb in the boutique. It should be the damned Kambe who should be looking at the gorgeous suits, not some poor wannabe. He felt a tug, twice, from the agent, meaning to pay attention up a head. 

“Veila-chan!” A woman exuberantly bellowed and  appeared before the officials, dolled up with beautiful fabrics that probably cost more than Haru’s car. [Y/N] walked into the open arms of the stylish woman, hugging each other tightly and giving kisses on each cheek. A rather strange greeting in the detective’s books. 

“Chisato-san! Long time no see.” [Y/N] greeted back with the same energy. Both women giggled and quickly caught up, leaving Haru in his own world. The agent grabbed a hold of Haru’s shoulder and introduced him to her friend, “Chisato-san, meet Inspector Katō Haru, Inspector meet my dear friend Chisato-san. She owns this boutique and the designer friend I was talking about.” 

The two adults bowed to each other. The eyes of Chisato-san examined Haru closely, the detective under exceptional discomfort. “We’re actually here for Haru, we need a few suits and outfits.” [Y/N] requested from her friend. The fashion designer yelped in joy and clapped her hands, “I’ll take good care of him!” 

Haru was dragged away from [Y/N], the agent waving towards him with a mischievous smile, Chisato-san instructing him to pick different colour palettes and styles of his preference. It amazed him how Chisato-san worked like a bot, once receiving his preferences, the fashion designer zoomed off to piece outfits together. 

The detective found himself by himself in a well-lit dressing room with at least ten customised outfits on the hooks. Haru sighed for the umpteenth time today, discarding his own clothes, unable to win against [Y/N]. He donned on his first suit out of many, striped with thin white lines. The man looked dashing, if he could say so himself. 

The detective emerged from the dressing room and looked at the agent straight away, wanting her approval. Well, he definitely got more than enough of an approval. [Y/N]’s blown out eyes drank the sight in front of her, the pink on her cheeks deepening every minute. Haru sauntered towards the fitting platform, as though it was a runway show. 

Haru relished for being the reason for [Y/N]’s flustered state. Set on exploiting her reaction, the man put on a smug expression with a hand pushing back his hair and his other in his pocket. His actions definitely had an impact, now the woman’s face a nice shade of pink with a hand covering half her face. The man knew how to elicit a beautiful reaction from her. 

Stepping on the fitting platform, Haru fully surveyed his form in the suit on the wall of mirrors. Him and Chisato-san discussed the quirks of the suit and what to alter, whilst [Y/N] was in the world of her own, checking out the detective. 

That is one fine ass… 

The fervent tension between the officials did not go past Chisato-san. The designer couldn’t exactly put her finger on her wandering thoughts about Haru. But upon seeing her dear friend’s loud expressions, the puzzle pieces matched. She could see what Haru was trying to do, for Chisato-san also loved to see a rare flustered [Y/N]. 

“I was wondering earlier why you sounded familiar, Inspector.” Chisato-san caught Haru’s attention as he appeared with a new suit on. “Why do I sound familiar?” Haru stretched out his arms, as Chisato-san pinned certain areas of the fabric to adjust. 

The designer had an evil smirk etched in her eyes and smile, as she and [Y/N] glared at each other through the mirror. The woman finally snapped out of her daze and was fully listening to the conversation. 

And she did not like Chisato-san’s evil expression. 

“Well, I was always wondering why [Y/N] stayed single throughout our entire five years of friendship. Without fail she turned down my offers of blind dates or mixers. I thought she only wasted her beauty and personality by seeing no one.” 

Ah, [Y/N] was right on the dot. Her dear friend was about to expose her and there was no stopping her. The woman felt cold sweats on her forehead and her breathing hitched. Flirting and using each other’s body to relieve stress was one thing, but a flat out confession was a whole new level. Haru nodded along to Chisato-san’s story.

“One day she told me stories of her academy days, specifically mentioning one trainee that stuck through thick and thin with her. She gushed on and on about how heroic, how strong and how handsome he was. Veila-chan sounded so cute, like she was a highschool girl. That was when I found out that one hero held her heart.” 

[Y/N] wanted to commit numerous crimes on her dear friend right on the spot. She did not care if she was sent to prison for a lifetime. The designer exaggerated and romanticized their memory together way too much. The story she told was as good as [Y/N] confessing to Haru she loved him for five years now. 

The woman was afraid that it would turn their relationship sour, things between them becoming painstakingly awkward, especially now that they have to live with each other for an uncertain period. She desperately didn’t want to find out Haru’s reaction, but that would back up Chisato-san’s story if she shied away. 

It wouldn’t take an idiot to understand that the strong, handsome and heroic trainee [Y/N] squealed about was indeed him, Katō Haru. Judging by the beet red tone of her face, Haru’s doubts of the story ceased to exist. Excitement and gladness coursed through his body, a hue of pink across his cheeks as a physical sign. How he wished he could jump, clack his heels and shout in celebration. 

Though the detective settled with a bright smile on his features. He caught [Y/N]’s eye for a millisecond, before she whipped her head to the side. The man just chuckled, finding her hidden timidity adorable. 

With the swipe of [Y/N]’s black card, ten bags on each person, the officials made their merry way back out of the boutique with Chisato-san’s farewells. “I know she’s supposed to be protecting you, but take care of her well, Katō-san.” Chisato-san spoke to Haru in confidence. Haru chuckled and nodded, the two adults bowing to each other as a goodbye. [Y/N] blew her a flying kiss, before racing out of the area. Haru didn’t dare speak of the incident, waiting for a better chance to tease [Y/N] about it. 

After shopping in a few more boutiques and eating dinner, the officials went back to [Y/N]’s home. Shopping and being on his feet all day, Haru felt a new type of exhaustion. The massaging shower of his guest room eased off the day’s events, the new set of silk pajamas [Y/N] bought felt soft against his skin. 

Finishing drying his hair, Haru tucked himself under the cozy blankets. Upon hearing soft knocks on his door, he sat up against the headboard and gave permission for [Y/N] to enter. “Cozy?” The woman inquired with a smile, making her way towards the large windows. Haru nodded in response, hiding a yawn behind his palm. 

The blinds whirred down by the buttons of the remote, [Y/N] briefly explaining the functions of the device. “I’m in the room beside you, don’t hesitate to knock if you need anything.” [Y/N] offered her hospitality as she put away the remote. Haru watched her move, contemplating whether he should put his plan into action or not. 

“Goodnight, Haru-chan.” The woman honoured Haru with a soft smile. It’s now and or never. His hand flew to grab a hold of her wrist, stopping the woman from leaving. [Y/N] froze and peered down to their point of contact, confusion occupying her mind. Wordlessly, Haru shifted to make room and towed [Y/N] in his bed. Pulling the blankets over their bodies, the man encased the woman in his arms. 

[Y/N] was about to satirize Haru’s actions but became awestruck. Her mouth flew shut. His brilliant eyes held melancholy and such tenderness. She felt a warm hand caress the side of her face, the woman can melt under his gaze and touches. 

“I don’t like the way you gained this house. I don’t like how you had to recover from near-death experiences alone.” Haru spoke softly, playing with the tresses framing [Y/N]’s face. 

Haru’s hand moved to the back of her head and pulled her against his chest, “I promise I’ll be by your side...” the man stroked her hair. 

“Through thick and thin.” 

The man ended his covenant to the woman with a gentle kiss pressed to her hair. His words and affection swayed her heart vastly that she could cry. She placed her hand on his chest as an answer of accord, soft and steady thumps of his heart at her fingertips. 

She thought she was already deep in. But she fell further in her feelings for the man who’s holding her dearly.  Though it was reciprocated.

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[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

On the Unification Church in Japan; extract from Moonwebs: Journey Into the Mind of a Cult by Josh Freed, published in 1980

▲ Ryoichi Sasagawa “right wing tycoon” speaking at the 1970 WACL in Tokyo. Sun Myung Moon was hoping the mobilization of all the Japanese members to support the event would elevate his status in the organization. When he was not crowned king of WACL, he somewhat distanced himself from WACL for a number of years. He later got more involved with WACL when he saw opportunities for himself through the CAUSA model.

Josh Freed’s work has aged very well after over 40 years. His book is available HERE.

One facet of Moon’s political empire was not even touched upon by the Fraser Committee—the Japanese connection which some Moon-watchers believe to be more important than even the link with Korea. Moon’s Japanese Church, the Genri Undo, is an influential movement tied to some of the most powerful ultra-right nationalist forces in Asia.

Moon’s three principal backers in the Orient are Ryoichi Sasagawa, Nobusuke Kishi and Yoshio Kodama—post war billionaires and political forces who share a dream of restoring the Emperor and Japan to their former glory. Some observers believe they are the real power behind Moon.

Sasagawa is the godfather of the Japanese underworld and the founder of the Japanese kamikaze pilot squads. He was imprisoned briefly as a Class A war criminal after the war, then released to become a billionaire political power in Indonesia and Cambodia. He actively supports the Unification Church in Japan, and is described by Bo Hi Pak as a “true humanitarian and patriot”, by Moon as “very close to Master”.

Sasagawa was also at the center of the old China Lobby—a powerful combination of Asian dictators, American right-wing politicians and international businessmen who influenced U.S. policy in the Pacific after World War II. In the 1960’s Sasagawa set up the World Anti-Communist League (WACL), currently the major alliance of right-wing forces in the world. Moon’s Japanese Church is a member of the WACL, and sponsored its 1970 annual conference. Moon claims his Church raised $1.4 million in flower sales and helped finance the “best WACL conference ever”.

[Note: The World League for Freedom and Democracy (WLFD) is an international non-governmental organization of anti-communist politicians and groups. It was founded in 1952 as the World Anti-Communist League (WACL) under the initiative of Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and retired General Charles A. Willoughby – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_League_for_Freedom_and_Democracy ]

▲ The WACL conference at the Tokyo Budokan Hall

The man in charge of promoting that conference was Nobusuke Kishi another active backer of the Japan Unification Church, a former prime minister of Japan, and president of its ruling party. At the 1970 WACL meeting, Kishi organized a grand welcoming banquet for Moon when he arrived in Japan. According to Bo Hi Pak, both Kishi and Sasagawa help the Unification Church by “encouraging young people through their position as elder statesmen. They open doors, issue statements and attend rallies, and they testify to other important Japanese.”

The third member of this right-wing triumvirate, Yoshio Kodama, has been described by the New York Times as “one of the most powerful men in the Orient”. He recently became notorious for his role in the Lockheed pay-off scandal involving the Japanese government.

▲ Yoshio Kodama

Kodama is considered one of the kingpins of Japanese politics, and has had a hand in selecting several prime ministers. He is not an active Moon backer, but acted as an advisor to Kishi and the Moonies during the 1970 WACL meeting. Moon’s links with Kodama, Kishi and Sasagawa have raised speculation that Japan is the source of his early funding; Harpers magazine even speculated that his seed money may have come through the Lockheed pay-offs, raising the possibility that Moon began his growth with American corporate funds.

Moon has at least two other interesting links in Japan. One is with recently defeated prime minister Takeo Fukuda, who attended a banquet in Moon’s honor in 1974, accompanied by two cabinet ministers. When questioned in the Japanese Diet, Fukuda replied: “He (Moon) is a very splendid man, and his philosophy has common parts with my own—namely cooperation and unity. So I was very impressed by him.”

Moon is also close to Japan’s director of the environment, Shintaro Ishihara, who received enormous door-to-door support from the Moonies in the 1976 elections. Shortly after, Ishihara attended a Church dinner and announced: “I received great help from your people…in my election campaign. I had no idea there were such fine young people in present day Japan.”

These links with some of the most powerful people in the Orient make many Moon watchers believe that Moon is more than a puppet for the Korean Government. According to Andrew Ross, a West Coast journalist who broke many of Moon’s Korean connections long before the Fraser Committee. “Moon is right at the center of a constellation of world-wide right-wing forces that is very powerful…and very frightening.”

How powerful is the Church today? Since the outset of the Fraser Committee, the South Korean Government has gone to great lengths to disassociate itself from Moon and the Church. It has cancelled the passports of the Little Angels ballet troupe and has charged the president of Moon’s ginseng tea company with $6 million in tax evasion. (He escaped to Japan.)

The Church cites these difficulties as proof that it has no links with South Korea, while other critics have said it certainly spells the end of any “special relationship” Moon has enjoyed with the South Korean Government.

The Fraser committee found evidence, however, that as late as 1978 the Church continued to have “significant support” from South Korean authorities. The committee pointed out that in that year a Moon industry was awarded contracts as a chief weapons supplier for the Korean Government. They put particular emphasis on a strange incident that occurred in late 1977: the American weapons firm Colt Industries sent a cable to the South Korean government suggesting an arms deal. Several weeks later Colt officials received a call from Moon’s Tong-Il manufacturing plant. Moon’s representatives then told Colt officials they would work out the deal for South Korea. They said the Korean government was aware of their actions and supported them, but would deny it if it came out in public.

The subcommittee recalled Moon’s professed goals, including the formation of a “Unification Crusade Army”, and concluded its report on this note:

“Under the circumstances, the subcommittee believes it is in the interests of the United States to know what control Moon and his followers have over instruments of war and to what extent they are in a position to influence Korean defence policies.”

The assassination of South Korean president Park in late 1979 throws Moon’s future status in Korea into question. No one can say whether the new government of Choi Kyu-Hah will continue to favor Moon or simply consider him a nuisance. However, it is worth noting that one of the most powerful men in the new government, so powerful that he was considered a leading candidate to become president, is Kim Chong-Pil; the man who met secretly with the Unification Church in San Francisco in 1961 and later became the honorary chairman of the KCFF.

In America too there are strong indications that Moon is far from dead. His financial investments continue to grow rapidly in fishing, film, newspaper and real estate, and his annual science conference continues to attract distinguished academics the world over. In November 1979, the ICUS science conference was held in Los Angeles and drew a full house.

Moon is again living in the United States after several months out of the country during the term of a subpoena by the Fraser Committee, and he is planning a mass wedding of two thousand couples in the United States sometime in 1980. [The mass wedding happened at Madison Square Gardens in July 1982.] He was also hoping to plan a giant “March on Moscow” in 1980—a top secret mission in which troops of Moonies would sweep down on the Russian Olympics in the guise of marching bands, with Divine Principles and bibles concealed in their drums.

Perhaps the most telling example of the Moonies’ still-flourishing power was displayed against the man who has been most effective in exposing them—Rep. Donald Fraser.

In the 1978 primaries, the Moonies campaigned actively against Fraser in his home state of Minnesota. As the Fraser Committee noted, all aspects of the Moon organization were synchronized against him—political, economic and religious. Anti-Fraser brochures were printed up by Moon’s publishing company; documentaries were made of the Fraser hearings by Moon film crews for airing in Korea; articles derogating Fraser and making Bo Hi Pak a martyr were run in News World; and individual Church members campaigned against Fraser in the street.

The results were effective. On October 7, about a month before the release of his committee’s final report, Donald Fraser was narrowly defeated in his bid to become the Democratic candidate for the Senate.

Sun Myung Moon had proved a more powerful opponent than even Fraser could deal with.

_______________________________________

Moonwebs by Josh Freed (the book was made into a movie)

How Sun Myung Moon bought protection in Japan 1. The LDP’s Tangled Ties to the Unification Church (2022) 2. Richard J. Samuels (2001 report)
 3. John Roberts (1978 report)

Nobusuke Kishi wrote a letter to President Reagan to get Moon released from jail; he was in for perjury, document forgery and tax evasion in 1984

The LDP’s Tangled Ties to the Unification Church – The Diplomat

Shinzo Abe’s Assassin Succeeds in Twisted Plot to Expose Japan’s Deep Ties with ‘Cult’ – The Daily Beast

Allen Tate Wood interviewed: as a top UC leader in the 1960s he was a moderator at WACL in 1970 in Tokyo

#Kodama Yoshio #Sasakawa Ryoichi #Kishi Nobusuke #Sun Myung Moon #WACL #World Anti-Communism League #Unification Church #KCIA #Genri Undo

[whatisonthemoon]

On the 1962 Reorganization of the Unification Church as a Political Tool of Japan, South Korea, and USA

The following is an excerpt from Privatising' Covert Action: The Case of the Unification Church by Jeffrey M. Bale and sheds some light on the alleged 1961-1962 reorganization of the Unification Church for the sake of it becoming a political tool of the Republic of Korea (ROK, or South Korea). As a political tool of post-war ROK, this meant their national goals and strategies had to be in line with the United States of America as well as the nearby Japan,  a USA ally (as of 1960) and their former colonizer who they continued to have a tense relationship with. Kim Jong Pil, head of Korean intelligence, decided to more deeply intervene in the Unification Church’s organization and activities as Park Chung Hee came to power. At this time, the the Unification Church substantially became a tool to not just the Korean government, but the U.S. and Japanese government. 

Park Chung Hee’s personal opinion on the Unification Church is hard to discern, and his relationship with the church was in no way progressively positive, but Park did not have a personal bias against the “new religion” controversy around the Unification Church, as he was mentored by the leader of the “Eternal Life Church," Choi Tae-min, who claimed to to be the Maitreya. The man who assassinated shot Park, KCIA Director Kim Jae-gyu, admitted after his arrest that one of his motives for the killing was Park’s inability to rid himself of Choi Tae-min’s influence. 

As one of Park’s closest aides, Kim Jong Pil headed the negotiations with Japan on normalizing bilateral diplomatic relations in order to help the economic reconstruction of South Korea. Kim Jong Pil continued to use Bo Hi Pak as a KCIA-CIA liaison in the DC area, and in 1962 made trips to the U.S. with KCIA agents and staff that were also Unification Church members. During this trip he also visited the Unification Church in San Francisco. Members from all over the region gathered for this meeting. The following passage outlines some of the events and figures that helped make this happen. You can read the full article here on the HWDYKYM blog. 

▲ Pictured: Kim Jong Pil, left, and Masayoshi Ohira meet in Tokyo in 1962

The fall of Rhee thus represented a turning point in ROK-Japan interaction. The short-lived democratic government that succeeded him made overtures towards normalization of relations with Japan, an approach also adopted by the Park regime following the 1961 coup. Park and other junta leaders had good economic and political reasons for promoting normalization: they needed Japanese capital to help modernize their country's economy and hoped to stablilize their strategic position by yielding to American pressure to reestablish better relations with Japan. The Japanese government headed by Kishi likewise sought to improve Japan's investment opportunities and strategic position.  These official views were to a great extent catalyzed and reinforced by powerful business leaders in both countries, specifically the Korean Businessmen's Association founded in 1961 by a dozen big businessmen and the 'Korea Lobby' in Japan, which included '15 top capitalists' who had established the Japan- ROK Economic Cooperation Organization. It was these latter who financed 'key factional bosses' in the LDP, and their political allies included Prime Minister Kishi and Dietman Bamboku Ono, among others - the very same rightist politicians supported behind the scenes by Kodama and Sasagama, who themselves had economic interests in South Korea.

Of equal significance for our topic, the envoy selected by Park to open 'informal channels' with these pro-normalization elements in Japan was none other than Jong-Pil Kim, who travelled to Japan in October of 1962 - immediately prior to his visit to the U.S., during which he promised Moonies in San Francisco that he would secretly support the UC - to meet with various Japanese leaders, including Kodama's ally Ono. As a result of this visit and a second in November 1962, which Kim undertook on his way home from America, an important step in the normalization process was taken with the formulation of the 'Kim-Ohira Memorandum . If all of this were not suggestive enough, Kodama himself was 'reputed to have been close to former ROK intelligence chief Kim-Chong-p'il and ha[d] been an important channel from Kim to the LDP and Japanese government'. Indeed, according to Japanese journalist Eisuke Otsuka, 'Kodama arranged a meeting inviting Korean representative Kim Chong-p’il and Kishi, Bamboku Ono, and Ichiro Kono and made them disentangle the trouble [regarding normalization] that had lasted for Jour years in short order'. Kim, Ono and Kodama were all later implicated in financial scandals involving both countries.

However, one should not assume that the motives for these contacts were strictly economic. Both Kim and the Japanese kuromaku were concerned with countering communist expansionism, and all three sought to create rightist federations to facilitate this. I have already noted that Kim, Kodama and Sasagawa had worked to strengthen domestic anti-communist forces, and have also discussed some of Kim's operations abroad. It remains only to show that the latter two men were also actively involved in creating and supporting regional or worldwide groupings like APACL and WACL, and that one of the instruments they made us of - probably at Kim's urging - was Moon's UC.

On Kim Jong Pil’s meetings with the CIA, Bo Hi Pak, and California Moonies, excerpted from Gifts of Deceit: Sun Myung Moon, Tongsun Park and the Korean scandal by Robert Boettcher with Gordon L. Freedman:

Kim Jong-Pil made a two-week official visit to the United States as KCIA director in the fall of 1962. Included in his entourage was Steve Kim as interpreter. The Korean Embassy mobilized for the occasion, and the Kennedy administration rolled out the red carpet. Lieutenant Colonel Bo Hi Pak was the Embassy’s officer in charge for Kim’s meetings with CIA Director John McCone, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, and Defense Intelligence Agency head Lieutenant General J. E. Carroll.

En route home, Kim Jong-Pil met secretly in his room at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco with a small group of Moon’s early activists, who had been sent to proselytize on the West Coast, and some American converts. Kim Young-Oon, beginning in Eugene, Oregon, in 1959, had moved to Berkeley, California. Choi Sang-Ik [Papasan Choi], having established the church in Japan, had moved to San Francisco. Kim told them he sympathized with Moon’s goals and promised to help the Unification Church with political support from inside the government. He said he could not afford to do so openly, however, which fit Moon’s plans perfectly.

Kim Jong-Pil had learned from Moon’s followers in the KCIA that Moon was a zealous anti-Communist. That could be useful to the government. He was also aware of Moon’s ambition to build influence in Korea and beyond. That could create problems for the government if the influence were not properly channeled. Moon was anxious to increase church membership in cities and villages throughout the country. Fine, thought Kim, just as long as they don’t get out of bounds. The KCIA must be the one calling the shots. He decided the Unification Church should be organized satisfactorily to be utilized as a political tool whenever he and the KCIA needed it. Organizing and utilizing the Unification Church would be a simple matter anyhow. After the military coup overthrew the elected government in 1961, all organizations in Korea were required to apply for reregistration with the government.

John Lofland discusses the visit in Doomsday Cult: A Study of Conversion, Proselytization, and Maintenance of Faith (1966, 1977). HWDYKYM identified the aliases Lofland used. The book was a study of the Unification Church group led by Young Oon Kim in San Francisco in the early 60s. 

The most spectacular of these visits supported the feeling that UC political control of Korea was imminent. In November 1962, the mass media reported the official United States visit of a Korean political figure known as the “Director” [KCIA Director, Kim Jong-pil]. A feature story on Korea and the Director’s visit appearing in a national news magazine said he was the mastermind behind the then current Korean military junta [of Park Chung-hee]. He “provides the ideas, the drive, the plans. By his own immodest but unchallenged statement, [he] is the dominant figure of … [the] ‘revolution.’ ” After talks with high level officials in Washington, the Director spent two days in San Francisco before returning to Korea. He stayed in a luxurious hotel that flew the Korean flag over its main entrance in order to honor his presence.

The day of his arrival, Miss Kim received a phone call from the Director’s aide and interpreter, a Korean army colonel and UC member. He told her that he had arranged an audience with the Director for Miss Kim and her followers. Miss Kim and five core converts appeared at the hotel the next afternoon, where they met another of the Director’s aides, who had only recently converted to the UC. Before entering the Director’s suite, the Koreans conversed excitedly in their native tongue, while American members stood around and giggled with joy. The audience with the Director himself consisted of Miss Kim telling him of her work for the UC in America, after which each local member gave a brief testimony to the UC/Divine Principle’s wonders and how it had changed their lives. The interpreter translated for the converts and for the Director, who continually smiled, nodded, and chain smoked. There were soft drinks, and toward the end of the hour the Director said that he was not a religious man but had great sympathy with UC. He could not help them publicly in Korea, but he would secretly give them a hand whenever possible.

After the audience, the members assembled in the interpreter’s room, where pictures were taken and an air of family festivity reigned.

Dinner talk back in the UC Center focussed on the audience. Miss Kim emphasized that such a meeting was unique and had occurred only because the Director had high regard for his two aides who were UC members. Note was made of the recently converted Colonel being related by marriage to the junta head and thus having direct access to him. The Director’s interpreter, Miss Kim reported, was also his speech writer. When assigned to write a speech, he always got help from a top-ranking person in Moon’s movement in order to give the speeches a Divine Principle slant. Church members had a strong suspicion that the two aides would eventually convert the Director, Kim Jong-pil.

Since Sun Myung Moon was to control the world by 1967, control of his home base [Korea] would certainly come before that time. Although UC members in America were obscure and ignored, even the most skeptical had to agree that, for some months in 1962 at least, Korean control was not a fantasy. Members had access to the people whose conversion could have given them power, if only in a short-lived coup. In any event, after their meeting with the KCIA Director, Kim Jong-pil, members possessed an important sense of being secretly near the center of power in Korea. Was this not testimony to the Unification Church member’s truth [the Divine Principle]?”

Michael Mickler on Kim Jong Pil’s visit to San Francisco, excerpted from A History Of The Unification Church In America, 1959–74 - Emergence of a National Movement:

Chairman of the newly emerged Supreme Council for National Reconstruction (SCNR) in Korea, Jong Pil Kim journeyed to the United States in November, 1961, for talks with American leaders and a meeting with President John Kennedy. After the talks, he spent two days in San Francisco before returning to Korea. During his stay in the Bay Area, Miss Kim received a call from a Colonel Han, a church member and one of Jong Pil Kim's aides and interpreters. He had arranged for Miss Kim and five American members not only to attend a reception but also to have an audience with the chairman.

At the reception, members met another aide who had recently joined the church, and in the private audience Miss Kim spoke of her work in America. In addition, each American member gave a brief testimony of their experiences with the church. While the meeting was relatively routine, its significance was enormous for a community which was struggling with obscurity and rejection.

On Kim Jong Pil’s visit, excerpted from the 1978 Report Of The Subcommittee on International Organizations Of The Committee On International Relations U.S. House of Representatives:

While in San Francisco, Kim Jong Pil stayed at the St. Francis Hotel. There he met secretly with a small group of UC members, who were among Moon's earliest followers in the United States. The subcommittee staff spoke to a person present at the meeting between the UC members and Kim Jong Pil, who recalled that Kim told UC members he would give their movement political support in Korea, though he could not afford to do so openly. A former U.S. official who accompanied Kim during his stay in San Francisco corroborated the story about the private meeting.

Note: Mickler says November 1961. Lofland and Boettcher/Freedman say Novemeber 1962. 

Related

“Moon’s Law: God Is Phasing Out Democracy”

Robert Parry’s investigations into Sun Myung Moon

The Political Setup of Moon’s Organization  – a 1977 Report. Kishi Nobusuke and Park Chung-hee are mentioned

In order to rule the world, Sun Myung Moon had to start with Korea.

“Moon used to play golf regularly with Kim Jong-pil”

Fraser Committee Report on Moon org.:  “these violations were related to the overall goals of gaining temporal power.”

Sun Myung Moon’s One-World Theocracy

The Moon Organization and the KCIA – ‘Privatizing’ covert action

#Kim Jong Pil #kim jong-pil #kodama #yoshio kodama #sasakawa #Ryoichi Sasakawa #moonies #unification church in japan #japanese church #unification church #politics #japan #south korea #republic of korea #japanese government #us government #park chung hee #Syngman Rhee #1961 #1962 #Bamboku Ono #nobusuke kishi #kishi #liberal democratic party #japanese politics #right-wing politics #church history #early church history #unification church history #history

[whatisonthemoonarchive]

SUN MYUNG MOON WAS A YAKUZA GANGSTER

Sun Myung Moon was a member of Japanese transnational crime syndicate Yakuza. He cooperated closely with Yakuza bosses Yoshio Kodama and Ryoichi Sasakawa. Yoshio Kodama was involved with drug trade already in the 1940s and was trafficking heroin from Asia to other parts of the world. Sun Myung Moon was manufacturing arms in South Korea and sold weapons on a massive scale to the Korean army and other warring parties in the world. Yoshio Kodama and Ryoichi Sasakawa and Sun Myung Moon united their efforts and used Yakuza crime methods to earn enormous amounts of money: they were trafficking drugs worldwide and sold weapons to all war hotspots. In addition they were involved in human trafficking, prostitution rings and porn film industry. For instance 6500 Japanese Unification Church women disappeared after their masswedding in South Korea. Their families never heard about them any more. Probably the women were kidnapped and sold to international prostitution rings. Sun Myung Moon and other Yakuza bosses earned astronomical amounts of money through drug trade and arms sale and human trafficking and laundered all this money through Yakuza’s international financial network.

[closetofanxiety]

This is an archived page from the dinosaur days of the Internet with some interesting stuff about the Babe Ruth of Japanese wrestling and his unsavory underworld ties. I’m currently looking up stuff on the connections between puro and organized crime, and there’s some really wild stuff. One of Rikidozan’s mobster friends was Yoshio Kodama, who in addition to being a gangster was an ultra-nationalist politician who was once almost murdered by a fascist porn actor (!) who crashed an airplane into Kodama’s house. 

Rikidozan, of course, was murdered by a gangster during a nightclub brawl, but that would not be the end of the ties between pro wrestling and the Yakuza ... 

#Rikidozan #wrestling in the news #puroresu

[macla539ac]

É muito interessante o envolvimento da WACL e da Fascist International no tráfico de drogas, muitos dos fundadores estavam ligados a cultos ou sociedades secretas, cabala, yakuza (queriam uma nova fachada mais respeitável), saque da Ásia pelo Japão, unificacionismo (aumentando a cruzada global), tráfico de heroína (metade do dinheiro das drogas seriam capazes de administrar várias causas conservadoras).

Membros como: Yoshio Kodama (o mais interessante de todos) e seu patrono Ryoichi Sasakawa, Reverendo Moon, Chiang Kai-shek e Alfredo Buzaid, Dom Sigaud aqui no Brasil.

Kodama e Chiang Kai-shek foram efetivamente os dois maiores senhores do tráfico de drogas na Ásia durante décadas - de aproximadamente 1930 até meados da década de 1970. Kodama, especialmente com o acesso que ele tinha à receita, gerada tanto pelo seu comércio de ópio quanto por seu ouro no mercado negro.

#pt

[koreaunderground]

(1994/10/09) C.I.A. Spent Millions to Support Japanese Right in 50's and 60's

[nytimes.com][1]

  [1]: <https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/09/world/cia-spent-millions-to-support-japanese-right-in-50-s-and-60-s.html?pagewanted=all>

# C.I.A. Spent Millions to Support Japanese Right in 50's and 60's

Tim Weiner

13-16 minutes

* * *

 * Oct. 9, 1994

In a major covert operation of the cold war, the Central Intelligence Agency spent millions of dollars to support the conservative party that dominated Japan's politics for a generation.

The C.I.A. gave money to the Liberal Democratic Party and its members in the 1950's and the 1960's, to gather intelligence on Japan, make the country a bulwark against Communism in Asia and undermine the Japanese left, said retired intelligence officials and former diplomats. Since then, the C.I.A. has dropped its covert financial aid and focused instead on gathering inside information on Japan's party politics and positions in trade and treaty talks, retired intelligence officers said.

The Liberal Democrats' 38 years of one-party governance ended last year when they fell from power after a series of corruption cases -- many involving secret cash contributions. Still the largest party in Japan's parliament, they formed an awkward coalition in June with their old cold war enemies, the Socialists -- the party that the C.I.A.'s aid aimed in part to undermine.

Though the C.I.A.'s financial role in Japanese politics has long been suspected by historians and journalists, the Liberal Democrats have always denied it existed, and the breadth and depth of the support has never been detailed publicly. Disclosure of the covert aid could open old wounds and harm the Liberal Democrats' credibility as an independent voice for Japanese interests. The subject of spying between allies has always been sensitive.

The C.I.A. did not respond to an inquiry. In Tokyo, Katsuya Muraguchi, director of the Liberal Democratic Party's management bureau, said he had never heard of any payments.

"This story reveals the intimate role that Americans at official and private levels played in promoting structured corruption and one-party conservative democracy in post-war Japan, and that's new," said John Dower, a leading Japan scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "We look at the L.D.P. and say it's corrupt and it's unfortunate to have a one-party democracy. But we have played a role in creating that misshapen structure."

Bits and pieces of the story are revealed in United States Government records slowly being declassified. A State Department document in the National Archives describes a secret meeting in a Tokyo hotel at which Eisaku Sato, a former Prime Minister of Japan, sought under-the-table contributions from the United States for the 1958 parliamentary election. A newly declassified C.I.A. history also discusses covert support sent that year.

But the full story remains hidden. It was pieced together through interviews with surviving participants, many well past 80 years old, and Government officials who described still-classified State Department documents explicitly confirming the Kennedy Administration's secret aid to the Liberal Democrats in the early 1960's.

The law requires the Government to publish, after 30 years, "all records needed to provide a comprehensive documentation of major foreign policy decisions and actions." Some State Department and C.I.A. officials say the Kennedy-era documents should stay secret forever, for fear they might disrupt Japan's coalition government or embarrass the United States. Other State Department officials say the law demands that the documents be unsealed. A Secret Operation That Succeeded

The C.I.A.'s help for Japanese conservatives resembled other cold war operations, like secret support for Italy's Christian Democrats. But it remained secret -- in part, because it succeeded. The Liberal Democrats thwarted their Socialist opponents, maintained their one-party rule, forged close ties with Washington and fought off public opposition to the United States' maintaining military bases throughout Japan.

One retired C.I.A. official involved in the payments said, "That is the heart of darkness and I'm not comfortable talking about it, because it worked." Others confirmed the covert support.

"We financed them," said Alfred C. Ulmer Jr., who ran the C.I.A.'s Far East operations from 1955 to 1958. "We depended on the L.D.P. for information." He said the C.I.A. had used the payments both to support the party and to recruit informers within it from its earliest days.

By the early 1960's, the payments to the party and its politicians were "so established and so routine" that they were a fundamental, if highly secret, part of American foreign policy toward Japan, said Roger Hilsman, head of the State Department's intelligence bureau in the Kennedy Administration.

"The principle was certainly acceptable to me," said U. Alexis Johnson, United States Ambassador to Japan from 1966 to 1969. "We were financing a party on our side." He said the payments continued after he left Japan in 1969 to become a senior State Department official.

The C.I.A. supported the party and established relations with many promising young men in the Japanese Government in the 1950's and 1960's. Some are today among the elder statesmen of Japanese politics.

Masaru Gotoda, a respected Liberal Democratic Party leader who entered parliament in the 1970's and who recently served as Justice Minister, acknowledged these contacts.

"I had a deep relationship with the C.I.A.," he said in an interview, referring to his years as a senior official in intelligence activities in the 1950's and 1960's. "I went to their headquarters. But there was nobody in an authentic Government organization who received financial aid." He would not be more explicit.

"Those C.I.A. people who were stationed in the embassy with legitimate status were fine," he said. "But there were also covert people. We did not really know all the activities they were conducting. Because they were from a friendly nation, we did not investigate deeply." Recruitment Was 'Sophisticated'

The recruitment of Japanese conservatives in the 1950's and 1960's was "a pretty sophisticated business," said one C.I.A. officer. "Quite a number of our officers were in touch with the L.D.P. This was done on a seat-by-seat basis" in the Japanese parliament. A second C.I.A. officer said the agency's contacts had included members of the Japanese cabinet.

As the C.I.A. supported the Liberal Democrats, it undermined their opponents. It infiltrated the Japan Socialist Party, which it suspected was receiving secret financial support from Moscow, and placed agents in youth groups, student groups and labor groups, former C.I.A. officers said.

Obstructing the Japanese opposition "was the most important thing we could do," one said.

The covert aid apparently ended in the early 1970's, when growing frictions over trade began to strain relations between the United States and Japan, and the growing wealth of Japan made the agency question the point of supporting politicians.

"By that time, they were self-financing," a former senior intelligence official said. But the agency used its longstanding relationships to establish a more traditional espionage operation in Japan.

"We had penetrations of all the cabinet agencies," said a C.I.A. officer based in Tokyo in the late 1970's and early 1980's. He said the agency also recruited a close aide to a prime minister and had such good contacts in the agriculture ministry that it knew beforehand what Japan would say in trade talks. "We knew the fallback positions" in talks over beef and citrus imports, he said. "We knew when the Japanese delegation would walk out."

Useful though it may have been, the inside information rarely gave American trade negotiators the upper hand with the Japanese. 'The Reverse Course' Of American Policy

The support for the Liberal Democrats had its origins in what some historians call "the reverse course" of American policy toward Japan after World War II.

>From 1945 to 1948, the American forces who occupied Japan purged the Government of the right-wing militarists who had led Japan into war. But by 1949, things had changed. China went Communist. The Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb. Washington was fighting Communism, not ferreting out rightists.

The American occupation forces freed accused war criminals like Nobusuke Kishi, later Japan's Prime Minister. Some of the rehabilitated politicians had close contacts with organized crime groups, known as yakuza. So did Yoshio Kodama, a political fixer and later a major C.I.A. contact in Japan who worked behind the scenes to finance the conservatives.

These politicians also drew support from a group of retired diplomats, businessmen and veterans of the Office of Strategic Services, the World War II precursor of the C.I.A. The group's leader was Eugene Dooman, an old Japan hand who quit the State Department in 1945 to promote "the reverse course."

During the Korean War, the Dooman group pulled off an audacious covert operation, bankrolled by the C.I.A.

Japanese conservatives needed money. The American military needed tungsten, a scarce strategic metal used for hardening missiles. "Somebody had the idea: Let's kill two birds with one stone," said John Howley, a New York lawyer and O.S.S. veteran who helped arrange the transaction but said he was unaware of the C.I.A.'s role in it.

So the Dooman group smuggled tons of tungsten from Japanese military officers' caches into the United States and sold it to the Pentagon for $10 million. The smugglers included Mr. Kodama and Kay Sugahara, a Japanese-American recruited by the O.S.S. from a internment camp in California during World War II.

The files of the late Mr. Sugahara \-- researched by the late Howard Schonberger, a University of Maine professor writing a book nearly completed when he died in 1991 -- described the operation in detail. They say the C.I.A. provided $2.8 million in financing for the tungsten operation, which reaped more than $2 million in profits for the Dooman group.

The group pumped the proceeds into the campaigns of conservatives during Japan's first post-occupation elections in 1953, Mr. Howley said in an interview. "We had learned in O.S.S., to accomplish a purpose, you had to put the right money in the right hands."

By 1953, with the American occupation over and the reverse course well under way, the C.I.A. began working with warring conservative factions in Japan. In 1955, these factions merged to form the Liberal Democratic Party.

The fact that money was available from the United States soon was known at the highest levels of the Japanese Government.

On July 29, 1958, Douglas MacArthur 2d, the general's nephew, who was then United States Ambassador in Tokyo, wrote to the State Department that Eisaku Sato, the Finance Minister, had asked the United States Embassy for money. Mr. Sato was Prime Minister of Japan from 1964 to 1972 and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974.

Ambassador MacArthur wrote that such requests from the Government of Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi were nothing new. "Eisaku Sato, Kishi's brother, has tried to put the bite on us for financial help in fighting Communism," his letter said. "This did not come as a surprise to us, since he suggested the same general idea last year."

Mr. Sato was worried, an accompanying memo explained, because a secret slush fund established by Japanese companies to aid the L.D.P. was drained.

"Mr. Sato asked if it would not be possible for the United States to supply financial funds to aid the conservative forces in this constant struggle against Communism," the memo said. While it is unclear whether Mr. Sato's request was granted directly, a decision to finance the 1958 election campaign was discussed and approved by senior national security officials, according to recently declassified C.I.A. documents and former intelligence officers.

In an interview, Mr. MacArthur said the Socialists in Japan had their own secret funds from Moscow, a charge the left denied.

"The Socialist Party in Japan was a direct satellite of Moscow" in those years, he said. "If Japan went Communist it was difficult to see how the rest of Asia would not follow suit. Japan assumed an importance of extraordinary magnitude because there was no other place in Asia from which to project American power." A Close Call In 1976

In 1976, the secret payments were almost uncovered.

A United States Senate subcommittee discovered that Lockheed Corp., seeking lucrative aircraft contracts, had paid $12 million in bribes to Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and the Liberal Democrats. The conduit was Mr. Kodama -- political fixer, tungsten smuggler and C.I.A. contact.

Then a retired C.I.A. officer living in Hawaii phoned in a startling tip.

"It's much, much deeper than just Lockheed," Jerome Levinson, the panel's staff director, recalls the C.I.A. man saying. "If you really want to understand Japan, you have to go back to the formation of the L.D.P. and our involvement in it."

Mr. Levinson said in an interview that his superiors rejected his request to pursue the matter.

"This was one of the most profound secrets of our foreign policy," he said. "This was the one aspect of our investigation that was put on hold. We got to Japan, and it really all just shut down."

#japan #cia #usa