(TRANSLATED FROM JAPANESE TEXT)
Shinchosha's Apology
A NOTICE OF APOLOGY
<To Soka Gakkai:
Shinchosha and editor Matsuda published an apology in the December 26, 2002 issue of Shukan Shincho
In the July 8, 1999 and July 15, 1999 issues of Shukan Shincho, Shinchosha Co. Ltd. and Editor and Publisher of the magazine, Hiroshi Matsuda, published an article alleging that your organization [Soka Gakkai] had illegally obtained information on a metropolitan government urban redevelopment plan, established a dummy company to buy out real estate in Tokyo to raise land prices for excessive gain, and then attempted to build a [Soka Gakkai] "village." The articles were advertised in banner headlines that read: "Metropolitan Government Urban Redevelopment Area: 14,000 tsubo (46,200 m2) in Kita-Shinjuku for which Soka Gakkai's dummy company manipulated land prices to reap a windfall for itself" "The Scene: Soka Gakkai dummy company raises land prices for illegal gain." The aforementioned articles have caused significant harm to the reputation of Soka Gakkai. For this, Shinchosha and Hiroshi Matsuda express their sincere apologies.
Hiroshi Matsuda, Former Shukan Shincho Editor and Publisher
Takanobu Sato, Representative Director
Shinchosa Co. Ltd.
[Note: As it appeared in the December 26, 2002 issue of Shukan Shincho]
