(Clearwisdom.net) On August 27, 2004, the Falun Dafa Association of Japan was formally recognized as a non-profit organization (NPO), and this attracted attention from all circles. According to The Epoch Times, after the news was disclosed, there were many telephone calls to contact persons of the Falun Dafa Association and every practice site on the Japan Falun Dafa website. Practitioners said that it helped Japanese people understand more about Dafa.
 Press conference venue |
 A member of the Falun Dafa Association exposes the staged Tiananmen self-immolation incident for reporters. |
 Reporters read truth-clarification materials |
On the afternoon of September 2, 2004, Falun Dafa Association of Japan held a press conference in a community center in Tokyo and disclosed the details and background of the NPO application. The association also answered questions about the staged Tiananmen self-immolation incident, the shooting of a practitioner from Australia who went to South Africa to sue Zong Qinghong, the worldwide lawsuits against Jiang Zemin and so on. Many reporters were present to cover the event, including Fuji Television Network, Inc, Japan Telecasting Network, Nippon Television Network Corp, New Tang Dynasty TV Station, Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), Asahi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun Co., Kyodo News, The Yomiuri Shimbun and The Epoch Times.
The Director of the association said that they had filed the application twice in 1999 and 2001. Tokyo did not approve the application because it was "hard to prove it was not a religious organization". In May of 2004, the Falun Dafa Association in Japan filed the application a third time. The Falun Dafa Association specifically declared that the mission of the association is to "popularize qigong, to improve the health of body and mind and to cultivate noble and moral values. The association will never get involved in any political assembly or religious activities." The Japanese government indicated that, "judging from the application profile, the association does not have any political context and preferences, nor does the association have any religious context and inclination; therefore, the application meets the necessary legal conditions." The recognition was official on the afternoon of August 27.
A member of the association said that in each of the three applications, the Chinese Embassy in Japan exerted pressure on Tokyo and asked them not to approve the Falun Dafa Association registration application. The governor of Tokyo expressed his surprise and disapproval of the embassy's interference on many occasions.
The director said that the recognition has significant meaning. It will help Japanese people to quickly learn more about Falun Gong. It will have an impact on China. The association hoped that through the internet the news of the acknowledgement of Falun Gong in Japan would become known in China. Japan made the right decision.
It was learned that many people in China called their relatives in Japan and asked for information about Falun Gong in Japan.
The reporters asked many questions and the press conference lasted for one hour and twenty minutes.
