Cases of religious corporations being bought and sold are increasing across Japan, often due to the absence of successors.
While some organizations resort to intermediary websites in a desperate search for a successor, such transactions have not been envisioned under existing laws, placing them in a legally gray area. There are rising concerns that buyers may exploit the tax privileges granted to religious corporations, but effective countermeasures remain limited.
On the window of a multi-tenant building in Osaka Prefecture, a large sign reads, “Religious corporations: Buying and selling.” A 65-year-old broker, who has been facilitating these transactions for six years, explained bluntly: “Buyers are primarily interested in tax savings, money laundering and the lucrative business of managing columbariums.”
