The Japanese government on Tuesday launched a probe into the contentious Unification Church, the first step in a process that could strip the group of its legal status.

The government will give the church until December 9 to answer questions about its finances and organization, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Keiko Nagaoka told a regular news conference on Tuesday.

Once the government investigation is over, it will be up to a court to decide whether to remove the Unification Church's legal standing and with it the tax exemptions that registered religious organizations enjoy in Japan.

(Cover: A view of the headquarters of the Unification Church in Tokyo, Japan, July 20, 2022. /CFP)