Aum members used a poisonous gas called sarin for their attack. Terrorism in every region has its own typical features, as does japanese terrorism. Ashahara founded aum shinrikyo in 1984 as a somewhat mangled collection of eastern belief systems, the christian book of revelations, and the prophecies of nostradamus, all tailored to fit asaharas own ideas of spirituality. Jul, 2018 founded by shoko asahara in the early 1990s, aum shinrikyo was a doomsday cult based in japan. Shoko asahara, the leader of the aum shinrikyo cult, was executed by hanging today for the deaths of over a dozen people in a terrorist attack on a tokyo subway in 1995. From now until the year 2000, a series of violent phenomena filled with fear that. The founder, shoko asahara, was born in 1957 and is partially blind. Aum shinrikyojapans unholy sect is kimuras latest foray into the literary world and with it, she hopes she has made some contribution, no matter how small, to the current universal need to fight terrorism in all forms so that everyone can live in peace and in safety. Arefu, formerly aum shinrikyo is a japanese doomsday cult. Aum shinrikyo supreme truth asahara shoko assisted the realization of his doomsday prophecies by having his followers release sarin nerve gas in tokyo subway stations. Japanese aum shinrikyo cult leader shoko asahara executed.
Now rebranded as aleph, the cult has fallen from its 1990s heights but is still going strong. Aum shinrikyo, the japanese doomsday cult that poisoned tokyo. A short history of aum shinrikyo, their murders, and the. Aum shinrikyo was a japanese doomsday cult founded by shoko asahara in 1984. Dec, 2010 aum shinrikyo also had a number of commercial enterprises, even a company that manufactured computers. Cult leaders and their followers have left people hurt and in some cases, have left scores of people dead coronavirus. If terrorist cults are your jam, i recommend reading it. After years on death row, the cults leader shoko asahara was put to death on 6 july. Asahara was born on march 2, 1955 as chizuo matsumoto in yatsushiro, japan.
I read this book back in college as part of a term paper on aum shinrikyo, and i remember it. After years on death row, the cult s leader shoko asahara was put to death on 6 july. Since the earliest moments of recorded history, prophets and gurus. Aum shinrikyo cult fugitive turns himself in after 16 years. Under this syncretic belief system, asahara proclaimed himself to be the lamb of god and at other times, christ. Aum shinrikyo supreme truth is a japanese religious cult founded in 1984. Even in its early years, aum shinrikyo showed sigsn of extreme guruism, intense apocalypticism, and the violent potential in both. Aum shinrikyo also had a number of commercial enterprises, even a company that manufactured computers. However, they are also known for the sarin gas attack the groups goals in their attacks have either been the elimination of opposition, like authorities and lawyers, or the mass murder of as many civilians as possible. Therefore, aum shinrikyo was an organization that taught the truth about creation and destruction. He was the fourth son of seven children five boys and two girls.
Aum shinrikyo simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The aum shinri kyo was a destructive, doomsday cult centered in japan. The culprits were aum shinrikyo, an obscure religious group who believed the end of the world was coming. Much of the faith from the aum shinrikyo cult is based in a strange combination of buddhism and hinduism. Aum shinrikyo is best known for the march 1995 attack in which the group released the nerve agent sarin on five. I n 1987 asahara shoko born chizuo matsumoto established aum shinrikyo, a cult with several hundred members. Shoko asahara, asahara shoko, march 2, 1955 july 6, 2018, born chizuo matsumoto, matsumoto chizuo, was the founder of the japanese doomsday cult group aum shinrikyo. Jul 06, 2018 seven members of the aum shinrikyo doomsday cult which carried out a deadly chemical attack on the tokyo underground in 1995 have been executed, including cult leader shoko asahara.
Aum shinrikyo, currently known as aleph, is a listed as a terrorist organization by several countries the name aum shinrikyo, omu shinrikyo, usually rendered in english as supreme truth, derives from the first letter of the phoenician, hebrew and arabic alphabets and replaced its logo. Tokyo court orders aum shinrikyo cult successor aleph to pay. In 1984, an unlicensed, alternative medicine specialist named asahara shoko born matsumoto chizuo, 19552018 founded the aforementioned cult. June 15, 2012 the last fugitive former aum member, katsuya takahashi, is arrested for his part in the subway attacks. Their name was a combination of aum which is a sacred hindu syllable, and shinri kyo which means supreme truth. Yoshihiro inoue, aums head of intelligence and chief coordinator of. Asahara was convicted of masterminding the deadly 1995 saringas attack on the tokyo subway, and was also involved in several other crimes. He was the founder of the japanese doomsday cult group aum shinrikyo.
Aum shinrikyo s most famous act is the 1995 sarin gas attack in the tokyo subway. Aum shinrikyo article about aum shinrikyo by the free. Since the earliest moments of recorded history, prophets and gurus have foretold the worlds. It carried out the deadly tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995 and was found to have been responsible for another smaller sarin attack the previous year the group has never confessed. Im making a documentary with a friend about aum shinrikyo, the japanese death cult who launched a chemical weapons attack on the tokyo subway in 1995.
Final cult fugitive from 1995 nerve gas attack on tokyo. It was owned for a year in 1993 by the japanese aum shinrikyo cult. History the infamous cult began in 1987 and was founded by shoko asahara. Shoko asahara predicted several dates for the end of the world like 19971998, but he eventually settled on 1995. Aum shinrikyo currently aleph signs and symbols of cults.
In 1984, the japanese group aum shinrikyo was founded as a simple yoga class. It carried out the deadly tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995 and was found to have been responsible for. Japanese novelist haruki murakami wrote a nonfiction book about the. Most notable is the fixation on the hindu goddess of destruction. Today the cult was never banned in japan, and lives on in offshoots including aleph and hikari no wa, which have an estimated 1,500 followers today. Arefu, formerly aum shinrikyo, oumu shinrikyo, is a japanese doomsday cult founded by shoko asahara in 1984. Background of the cult a case study on the aum shinrikyo. The organization came to public attention when it was learned that several of its top leaders had perpetrated the tokyo subway attack of 1995. Asahara was spoken of and addressed as sonshi, meaning revered master, or exalted one, a highly worshipful term not ordinarily used in japanese buddhism. Founded by shoko asahara in the early 1990s, aum shinrikyo was a doomsday cult based in japan. July 6, 2018 asahara and six others are executed by hanging. Aum shinrikyo s path from obscure religious cult to brutal terrorist group occurred over a decade, but its journey is telling of the dangers that can be posed by powerful and devout religious sects. By analyzing the psychological aspect of the aum shinrikyo affair, we can learn more about the goals and motivation of terrorists in general.
Aum shinrikyos most famous act is the 1995 sarin gas attack in the tokyo subway. Before we get to the interviews, its important that we get a fuller understanding of aum shinrikyos founding, and their history of violence. Arthur goldwag, author of a book on conspiracies and secret societies, characterizes asahara as one who saw. Ahead of the 20th anniversary of aum shinrikyos deadly sarin attack in. The station was established in 1903 and has had several owners. The aum shinrikyo supreme truth was founded in 1987 by shoko asahara, a fortyyear old legally blind former yoga teacher.
Aum shinrikyos path to violence is a scholarly examination of the religious underpinnings of. The history of aum shinrikyo begins with the founder, asahara shoko. Aum shinrikyo is a japanese cult movement founded by shoko asahara which carried out a terrorist attack on a tokyo subway in 1995. Aum shinrikyo cult fugitive turns himself in after 16 years this article is more than 8 years old police arrest makoto hirata, a member of the doomsday cult responsible for the 1995 sarin gas. The leader of aum shinrikyo doomsday cult which carried out a deadly nerve gas attack on the tokyo underground in 1995 has been executed, japanese media repo. Aleph, formerly 19872000 aum shinrikyo, japanese new religious movement founded in 1987 as aum shinrikyo aum supreme truth by matsumoto chizuo, known to his followers as master asahara shoko. Written in 1996 shortly after these events, a poisonous cocktail. He attended a school for the blind from the age of five mullins. In a book entitled shivering predictions by shoko asahara, asahara stated that.
Aum shinrikyo project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Now robert jay lifton offers a vivid and disturbing case in point in this chilling exploration of aum shinrikyo, the japanese cult that released sarin nerve gas in the tokyo subways. He was the fourth son of seven children five boys and. The cult also ran a chain of restaurants in tokyo and several other japanese cities. However, recent events from japan overtook the investigation and, last june, senator nunn redirected the staff to focus upon the ongoing activities of the aum shinrikyo as a case study of what can happen when a fanatical group with financial resources obtains sophisticated technical abilities and decide to utilize weapons of mass destruction in. Osaka on the morning of march 20, 1995, members of the doomsday cult aum shinrikyo released sarin gas on tokyo subway trains, killing. It gassed the tokyo subway, microwaved its enemies and. Shiva, which could explain the cults doomsday attributes. The history of aum shinrikyo, japanese doomsday cult. The cult started as a small group made up of asahara and fifteen followers. Aum shinrikyos power of persuasion ahead of the 20th anniversary of aum shinrikyos deadly sarin attack in tokyo, we talk to three people with intimate. Asahara is his holy name, a blind herbalist and acupuncturist. Strategy, tactics, techniques, and weapons aum shinrikyo. Two hundred aum shinrikyo members were convicted following the attacks.
It carried out the deadly tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995 and was found to have been responsible for another smaller sarin attack the previous year. Jan 01, 2012 aum shinrikyo cult fugitive turns himself in after 16 years this article is more than 8 years old police arrest makoto hirata, a member of the doomsday cult responsible for the 1995 sarin gas. Although it claims to be a new religious movement, several governments regard it as a terrorist movement. Imported components from taiwan were assembled in a cult factory at kamakuishki and sold in aum s computer store in downtown tokyo. On july 6, japanese authorities executed shoko asahara, the founder of the apocalyptic aum shinrikyo cult, and six of his followers, closing the book on one of the most highprofile acts of terrorism in modern japanese history.
A profile of the japanese religious cult that carried out the 1995 subway sarin attack. Aum shinrikyo s power of persuasion ahead of the 20th anniversary of aum shinrikyo s deadly sarin attack in tokyo, we talk to three people with intimate. Originally named aum shinsen no kai, the group mixes various religions with science fiction and nostradamus prophecies. Just 11 years later, it carried out a devastating sarin gas attack on a tokyo subway and made a name for itself as one of the worlds most frightening doomsday cults. Aum shinrikyo conducted a deadly nerve gas attack on a tokyo subway in 1995. National book award winner and renowned psychiatrist robert jay lifton reveals. By the time japans bizarre aum shinrikyo cult launched its 1995 nervegas attack on the. Cult education institute group information archives. Shoko asahara simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. According to the report, aum shinrikyo came to the united states officially in late 1987 when it incorporated in new york city under the name aum usa company, ltd. Shortly after the september 11th terrorist attacks on the united states, i did a two book reading on this japanese cult. Jul 05, 2018 im making a documentary with a friend about aum shinrikyo, the japanese death cult who launched a chemical weapons attack on the tokyo subway in 1995.
Aum shinrikyo japans unholy sect is kimuras latest foray into the literary world and with it, she hopes she has made some contribution, no matter how small, to the current universal need to fight terrorism in all forms so that everyone can live in peace and in safety. It was founded in 1987 by asahara shoko born chizuo matsumoto. In 1928 banjawarn was owned by the warren brothers and was supporting a flock of 1,000 sheep. July 6, 2018, born chizuo matsumoto, matsumoto chizuo, was a japanese terrorist.
Shokomatsu moto claimed to have received enlightenment while he. The book is in digital form entitled butterfly in the wind. Apr 24, 2018 in 1984, the japanese group aum shinrikyo was founded as a simple yoga class. Imported components from taiwan were assembled in a cult factory at kamakuishki and sold in aums computer store in downtown tokyo. Thirteen people were killed, and thousands were injured. The former bodyguard for the aum shinrikyo cult leader, takahashi had been on japans most wanted list for years for his suspected participation in the sarin gas attack that killed people and. Jul 06, 2018 the culprits were aum shinrikyo, an obscure religious group who believed the end of the world was coming. Jun 24, 2002 the book is in digital form entitled butterfly in the wind.
Aum shinrikyo has elements of buddhism and christianity although christians and buddhists have no association to the group. With unprecedented access to former aum members, lifton has produced a pathbreaking study of the inner life of a modern millennial cult. In 1995, the japanese cult aum shinrikyo unleashed terror on the tokyo subwa. Inside are 30 whiterobed devotees of aum shinrikyo supreme truth, the doomsday sect that released nerve gas on the tokyo subway in march 1995, killing 12 and injuring thousands. It appears to have been a syncretistic religion, founded in 1987, and combining elements of buddhism with christianity.