Toru Goto was born in Yamagata, Japan on November 2, 1963.
During his college days in Nihon University, his older brother invited him to
learn the Divine Principle which later led him to join the Unification Church.
After graduating in 1987 with a degree in architecture, he started working in
a construction company. His first kidnapping occured in October of 1987,
which he successfully escaped by pretending to surrender his faith after a
month of confinement. He was kidnapped again on September 11, 1995,
and the confinement continued for 12 years and 5 months until he was
released on February 10, 2008.
On October 2008, together with other victims and determined people,
he founded a civil group called “Association to Eliminate Religious
Kidnapping and Forced Conversion”. He presently serves as the
vice-representative of the group.