Japan has filed for a court dissolution order for the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, based in South Korea.

According to Japanese media reports on Friday, Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs submitted the request to the Tokyo District Court.

The Japanese government said the federation has long solicited monetary offerings from members and encouraged the purchase of items as donations while interfering in their decision-making, and that a court has found such acts to be in violation of the law.

Japan's culture minister, Masahito Moriyama, said on Thursday that a government investigation has found that damage involving over one-thousand-550 people related to the federation amounts to 20-point-four billion yen, or around 136 million U.S. dollars.

Tokyo believes that it has obtained sufficient objective evidence to back claims of the federation's systematic ill nature and continuity, which are preconditions to file for dissolution.

If the court rules in favor of Tokyo, which public broadcaster NHK forecast could take up to several years, the group will have to forfeit its religious corporation status along with tax benefits, but will still be allowed to continue its religious activities.

Only two religious organizations have received such a court order in Japan's history, but this is the first time that it is being sought on the grounds of civil law violation.