As parliament prepares to reconvene, the speaker of the Lower House admitted Thursday to having had some connections with the Unification Church amid growing calls for him to detail his ties with the group.
Hiroyuki Hosoda, the speaker of the House of Representatives, said in a statement that he delivered speeches twice at ceremonies and took part in two other gatherings between 2018 and 2019, all of which were hosted by the church or affiliated groups.
The veteran ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker also said he was once interviewed for a publication linked to the organization, now formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.