Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2002, Page 36
News
Aum Shinrikyo (Aleph)/Japan
A History of Aum
The Irish Times of 4/6/02, Internet, reviews the history of Aum Shinrikyo, the apocalyptic
Japanese group now calling itself ―Aleph,‖ that was responsible for the poison gas attack in
the Tokyo subways in 1985. Many of the group‘s leaders have been convicted for that attack
and other crimes. Leader Shoko Asahara’s trial continues. The following are verbatim
excerpts of the article.
The subway attacks remain the worst single incident of terrorism on Japanese soil. In this
world of ever-expanding threats from faceless external foes, the case of Aum Shinrikyo, like
that of Timothy McVeigh, is a reminder that the worst of enemies can come from within our
own borders. Prosperous, westernized, and safe, the Japan of 1995 was the very model of a
apparently peaceful and orderly society. Yet bubbling beneath this benign surface, the best
and brightest plotted mayhem against their own government. Indeed, in another life, many
of the cultists could easily have become members of the same administrative class they
tried to destroy. Many fought their way to the top of Japan's educational system before
opting out of life in one of Tokyo's bureaucratic bunkers. Trained to harness their skills to
the country's once-unstoppable economic juggernaut, many decided instead to join the
cult's apocalyptic master plan when the juggernaut stalled. Toru Toyoda, the man who
gassed [British journalist] Michael Kennedy's train, and who is now on death row, was a
graduate of Japan's super-elite Tokyo University Science Department.
Membership
The plan involved, at its peak, about 10,000 members in Japan and thousands more
elsewhere, mainly in Russia. Converts were encouraged by the cult, led by the ambitious
Asahara and a coterie of gifted and charismatic disciples, to take celibacy vows, drop out of
life and prepare for Armageddon. Asahara studied an eclectic mix of yoga, Buddhism and
Christianity before declaring himself an enlightened master and registering his small group
as a new religion in 1989.
Rumors quickly spread about the bearded guru and his school as it accumulated followers
and money. A number of families appeared in the newspapers accusing Aum of kidnapping
and brainwashing their children, often taking family assets with them. A Yokohama-based
lawyer, Tsutsumi Sakamoto, had begun compiling a file on them before he vanished with his
wife and baby son on November 4th, 1989. His friend, investigative reporter Shoko Egawa,
knew it had to have something to do with the cult. "It was obvious. There was blood on the
walls and even an Aum badge found at his home. But I found police very half-hearted about
doing anything, so I started to gather information myself.
Approach to Critics
Egawa, who has written several books about Aum, has done more than anyone to expose
the group's activities, which were fired by paranoia and punctuated by spurts of increasing
violence aimed at enemies and traitors. Defectors and recalcitrant devotees were tortured
and burned in microwave ovens. People who opposed Aum's land acquisition were harassed,
attacked and gassed. On at least one occasion, cultists strangled someone to death in front
of Asahara.
These activities grew in intensity after 24 Aum candidates were defeated in the general
election of 1990. Voters mysteriously failed to respond to campaigners in elephant masks
repetitiously chanting Asahara's name to music. Asahara said the failure was the result of a
News
Aum Shinrikyo (Aleph)/Japan
A History of Aum
The Irish Times of 4/6/02, Internet, reviews the history of Aum Shinrikyo, the apocalyptic
Japanese group now calling itself ―Aleph,‖ that was responsible for the poison gas attack in
the Tokyo subways in 1985. Many of the group‘s leaders have been convicted for that attack
and other crimes. Leader Shoko Asahara’s trial continues. The following are verbatim
excerpts of the article.
The subway attacks remain the worst single incident of terrorism on Japanese soil. In this
world of ever-expanding threats from faceless external foes, the case of Aum Shinrikyo, like
that of Timothy McVeigh, is a reminder that the worst of enemies can come from within our
own borders. Prosperous, westernized, and safe, the Japan of 1995 was the very model of a
apparently peaceful and orderly society. Yet bubbling beneath this benign surface, the best
and brightest plotted mayhem against their own government. Indeed, in another life, many
of the cultists could easily have become members of the same administrative class they
tried to destroy. Many fought their way to the top of Japan's educational system before
opting out of life in one of Tokyo's bureaucratic bunkers. Trained to harness their skills to
the country's once-unstoppable economic juggernaut, many decided instead to join the
cult's apocalyptic master plan when the juggernaut stalled. Toru Toyoda, the man who
gassed [British journalist] Michael Kennedy's train, and who is now on death row, was a
graduate of Japan's super-elite Tokyo University Science Department.
Membership
The plan involved, at its peak, about 10,000 members in Japan and thousands more
elsewhere, mainly in Russia. Converts were encouraged by the cult, led by the ambitious
Asahara and a coterie of gifted and charismatic disciples, to take celibacy vows, drop out of
life and prepare for Armageddon. Asahara studied an eclectic mix of yoga, Buddhism and
Christianity before declaring himself an enlightened master and registering his small group
as a new religion in 1989.
Rumors quickly spread about the bearded guru and his school as it accumulated followers
and money. A number of families appeared in the newspapers accusing Aum of kidnapping
and brainwashing their children, often taking family assets with them. A Yokohama-based
lawyer, Tsutsumi Sakamoto, had begun compiling a file on them before he vanished with his
wife and baby son on November 4th, 1989. His friend, investigative reporter Shoko Egawa,
knew it had to have something to do with the cult. "It was obvious. There was blood on the
walls and even an Aum badge found at his home. But I found police very half-hearted about
doing anything, so I started to gather information myself.
Approach to Critics
Egawa, who has written several books about Aum, has done more than anyone to expose
the group's activities, which were fired by paranoia and punctuated by spurts of increasing
violence aimed at enemies and traitors. Defectors and recalcitrant devotees were tortured
and burned in microwave ovens. People who opposed Aum's land acquisition were harassed,
attacked and gassed. On at least one occasion, cultists strangled someone to death in front
of Asahara.
These activities grew in intensity after 24 Aum candidates were defeated in the general
election of 1990. Voters mysteriously failed to respond to campaigners in elephant masks
repetitiously chanting Asahara's name to music. Asahara said the failure was the result of a
