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B. Based on evidence submitted, the following describes the content of acts to solicit donations from Plaintiff A ( Hereinafter, PA). 1. PA was a 58 year old housewife in 1992. In 1985, her husband contracted a difficult disease known as Progressive Paralysis, the cause of which remainsunknown. From the summer of 1991, her husband was home bound and in bed until his death on 16 January 1992. PA had two children but the eldest daughter had married and lived in a different domicile, and her eldest son was living in Tokyo. After her husband passed away, PA lived alone. Soon after her husband's death, PA developed a stomach ulcer due to her weariness from nursing her husband, and was admitted to S hospital from 3 February to 4 March of that same year. After she was released from the hospital, her overall condition which was not good, continued. She went to the hospital for out-patient treatment on a periodic basis. In the meantime,she worked a one day a week part-time job. PA was worried that her son who was over 30 years of age has still not married. PA had heard previously from a friends that fate is the reason why bad things happen. PA believed this. After her husband got sick and began suffering, she thought about having a specialist from Shikoku perform a religious cleansing for her. 2. Solicitation to the Culture center YI visited the house of PA on 16 May of that same year. At the door she said thing to PA such as: "You have a nice face" and "Are you a teacher?" Then YI said: "Please show me your hands." Upon looking at PA's hands, shesaid, among other things: "It looks like you are worrying about something." Then PA, on the request of YI, let YI into her home where she told YI her anxieties such as how her husband had suffered and died from an illness fourmonths ago, how after that she was hospitalised, and how her son was over 30years old and still not married. In response to this, YI said, inter alia, to PA "Bad things are continuingbecause of what is called fate or destiny" and "By studying now, you can getrid of this ill fate." YI then encouraged PA to come to study at the Nara Culture center on the second floor of the Liberty Building (address: 6-2-5 Ohmiya, Nara City). PA was born at the temple of Jodo Shinshyu in Wakayama Prefecture and as aconsequence did not like any religions other than Buddhism. Also, when persons representing religious organization came to her door about five to six times a year, she refused them by saying " I do not like any religions other than Buddhism." When she communicated the same thing to YI, YI responded by saying " This is not a religion. It is a place to study." Then,on the same day, YI said to PA "If you just promise me verbally (that you will come to study), then you will end up not coming." Consequently, PA paida sum of 5,000 yen as part of the study course fee to YI. 3. Education at the Culture Center a. In order to study and rid herself of her (ill) fate, PA began commuting to the Nara Culture Center from 27 May 1992, the day after YI had visited her house. At the beginning of the study course, PA was asked by YK (person) on the "Turtle Shell" questionnaire, questions about her hobbies, personality and money savings. PA answered that she had a savings of over 5,000,000 yen. Then YK told PA that it would be necessary to clarify her destiny beginningwith an examination of her family line from dating three generations backward. PA then drew a family tree showing three generations of her family. On this point, witness Mizuguchi (hereinafter, "M") has stated that at the Nara Culture Center M had people fill in self introduction cards on which they recorded such information as their addressed, ages, family members, and the content of the course they wished to take but that no "Turtle Shell" questionnaires were used. However, as stated above, acquiring knowledge of people's financial assets was a practice carried outin common throughout Japan. Further, it was admitted that this practice wasgiven great importance on the teaching of the Defendant. Accordingly, the statement of M cannot be qualified. b. The content of PA's study course, according to the study course video listas recorded on attachment 1) the average study course format consisted ofthree hour classes in which an average of two videos were watched. After watching the videos, PA was to write her thoughts and ideas about the video.Either before or after the video(s), PA would have a talk with M. PA's motive for taking the study course was to study and rid herself of her ill-fate. c. PA paid a sum of 50,000 yen for the study course tuition on 29 May 1992 on the day she went to the study course for the second time. d. PA had an interview with YK after having watched videos a number of times. At this interview, when PA said that her great grand father had had an extramarital affair, she was told that she had an ill fate for sexual relations. When PA said that her husband's parents and his grandparents hadhad no children, she was told that she "had a fate for family extinction." PA was told also by an organiser that if she did not rid her ill fate in her generation then that fate would be passed on to her grandchildren. e. PA was told not to inform her eldest son that she was studying at present. f. The content of the video which left the strongest impression on PA was one that expressed that even if PA herself had not done anything wrong, bad deed committed by her ancestors generations ago would bring on misfortune to her grandchildren.
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