The Agency engages in proper management of the system of religious juridical persons, by certifying of religious juridical persons based on the Religious Juridical Persons Act and collecting information on religions.
In addition, the Religious Juridical Persons Council was established as an advisory organ of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
What is a Religious Juridical Person?
"Religious organization" means any organization whose primary purposes consists of the dissemination of religious teachings, the conduct of ceremonies and functions, and the education and nurture of believers. A religious juridical person means a religious organization that obtains juridical status through certification by a prefectural governor or the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Religious juridical persons have two categories. One is a single religious juridical person that has establishments for worship such as a shrine, temple, or church. The other is a comprehensive religious juridical person, which affiliates shrines, temples, or churches under its umbrella, such as a denomination, sect, or religious community. Among the single religious juridical persons, those under the umbrella of a comprehensive religious juridical person are called affiliated religious juridical persons. Those that are independent are called individual religious juridical persons.
Relationship Diagram of Religious Juridical Persons
Number of Religious Juridical Persons
(As of December 31, 2023)
In principle, the authority responsible for religious juridical persons is the prefectural governor having jurisdiction over the location of its principal office.
The competent authority for the following religious juridical persons is the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: a religious juridical person which has a house of worship in another prefecture; which encompasses such religious corporation; which encompasses a religious corporation that is located in another prefecture.
When a religious juridical person opens or closes a precinct building in another prefecture, the competent authority changes.
Promotion of the Administration of Religious Affairs
The Agency for Cultural Affairs carries out the following tasks to properly manage the religious juridical person system and ensure appropriate management and operation of religious juridical persons.
Holding lectures for administrative officers in charge of religious affairs at the prefectural level.
Running practical seminars for religious juridical persons and producing manuals for them.
Contact
Religious Affairs Division