Overview:

• There exists an unstructured recognition system.

• There doesn’t exist sufficient provisions for existential recognition that are distinguished from procedure for registering secular entities.

• The informational requirements demanded as part of the registration process is intrusive and could be easily misused against religious groups.

• The segmentation of the registration into prefectures rather than by a national system causes further restriction that ultimately undermines the status of being registered.

• The registration procedure is overwhelmingly concerned with the monitoring of the finances of religious organisations which equates to government involvement in the internal affairs of a religion.

Positive elements:

• Despite ongoing relatively minor issues with the recognition system, the government broadly upholds freedom of religion or belief and protects the right of a person to change religion.

Recommendations:

• Establish procedures for existential recognition and for legal registration, particularly so that the latter process is made distinct from similar processes for secular entities.

• To become dynamic, establish an independent recognition agency to deal with religious recognition.