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When did Aum Shinrikyo end?
On 10 October 1995, Aum Shinrikyo was ordered stripped of its official status as a "religious legal entity" and was declared bankrupt in early 1996.
When did Shoko Asahara change his name?
1987In 1984, Asahara formed Aum Shinsen no Kai (オウム神仙の会). He changed his name from Chizuo Matsumoto to Shoko Asahara and renamed his group Aum Shinrikyo in 1987.
How many people died from Aum Shinrikyo?
The toxin struck victims down in a matter of seconds, leaving them choking and vomiting, some blinded and paralysed. Thirteen people died. Aum Shinrikyo, often shortened to Aum, believed that the end of the world was coming and that those outside the cult would go to hell - unless they were killed by cult members.
How many members did Aum Shinrikyo have at its peak?
The cult claimed a membership as high as 65,000, the large majority of whom, 30,000 - 50,000, were in Russia. These numbers have not been publicly corroborated by the Japanese government although most of the officials and Aum experts the Staff interviewed placed the worldwide membership in the 40,000 to 60,000 range.
What does Shoko mean in Japanese?
Bright, Clear, HappinessThe name Shoko is primarily a female name of Japanese origin that means Bright, Clear, Happiness.
Is nishimiya deaf?
Shōko Nishimiya (西宮 硝子, Nishimiya Shōko?) is the female protagonist of the Koe no Katachi series. While Shōko may not be completely deaf (given the hearing aids she possesses in both ears), her hearing loss is drastic enough to the point that she can be considered clinically deaf.
How did Aum Shinrikyo get sarin?
Six years ago, on March 20, 1995, five members of the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo (Supreme Truth) boarded subway trains in Tokyo, Japan, and released the deadly chemical nerve agent sarin.
What did Aum Shinrikyo believe in?
The impetus for the cult was its founder's religious fervor, which emerged in 1986 as an eclectic mix of Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, and Christian beliefs. Aum's official recognition as a religious organization qualified it to pursue its activities without oversight from Japanese authorities.
What happen in Japan in 1995?
The Great Hanshin Earthquake Disaster of 1995 was one of the worst in Japan's history, killing 6,433 people and causing more than $100 billion in damages. On January 17, 1995, a major earthquake struck near the city of Kobe, Japan, killing more than 6,000 and making more than 45,000 people homeless.
How is sarin gas released?
The perpetrators sprayed Sarin from evaporator-type spray containers in the car park, and the released fog-like gas moved and spread, causing many residents to be poisoned. The spraying device was made from refrigerator-car equipment, and had a heating-pot and a fan.
Where did Aum Shinrikyo start?
Asahara Shoko, original name Matsumoto Chizuo, (born March 2, 1955, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan—died July 6, 2018, Tokyo), founder of AUM Shinrikyo (“Supreme Truth”; renamed Aleph in 2000), a millenarian new religious movement in Japan.
What did Shoko Asahara believe in?
During this period Asahara had become a member of a small new religion, Agonshu, a movement with strong Hindu and Buddhist elements. After his trial and a period of spiritual crisis, he established his own new religion, AUM Shinsen-no-kai, later known as AUM Shinrikyo, in 1984.
What did Aum Shinrikyo believe in?
Doctrine of the Aum Shinrikyo Asahara preached that the end of the world was near and that Aum followers would be the only people to survive the apocalypse, which he predicted would occur in 1996 or between 1999 and 2003.
Where did Aum Shinrikyo form?
The group, whose name is often shortened to just Aum, gained official status as a religious organisation in Japan in 1989. Asahara picked up a sizeable global following, speaking at universities and writing books. At its peak, Aum had tens of thousands of members worldwide.
How did the Aum Shinrikyo get funding?
Location/Area of Operation: The group operates in Japan and Russia. Funding and External Aid: Funding primarily comes from member contributions and group-run businesses.
Who is Asahara Shoko?
Asahara Shoko, original name Matsumoto Chizuo, (born March 2, 1955, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan—died July 6, 2018, Tokyo), founder of AUM Shinrikyo (“Supreme Truth”; renamed Aleph in 2000), a millenarian new religious movement in Japan. Asahara was born partially blind and was sent to a school for the blind. After graduating in 1975 and failing ...
When was Asahara sentenced to death?
Asahara was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 2004; on July 6, 2018, after all his appeals had been exhausted, he was executed by hanging. This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray, Editor.
What did Asahara do to the world?
Meanwhile, under his direction, AUM members began gathering firearms, developing biological weapons, and acquiring supplies of the nerve gas sarin. In 1995 five AUM members released the gas in the Tokyo subway system, an attack that killed 13 people and injured some 5,500 ( see Tokyo subway attack of 1995 ). Asahara and members of his sect were arrested and the sect’s sites were shut down. Asahara was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 2004; on July 6, 2018, after all his appeals had been exhausted, he was executed by hanging.
What did Asahara do?
After graduating in 1975 and failing to gain admission to medical school, he studied acupuncture and pharmacology. He opened his own pharmacy in the city of Chiba, specializing in Chinese medicaments. In 1982 he was arrested for selling fake remedies, and after his conviction for fraud his business went bankrupt.
When did Asahara start his own religion?
After his trial and a period of spiritual crisis, he established his own new religion, AUM Shinsen-no-kai, later known as AUM Shinrikyo, in 1984. Asahara began handing out leaflets, preaching on street corners, and teaching Yoga and healing through the use of herbal medicines.
When was Asahara arrested?
Asahara himself was arrested in May 1995 , and indicted on 17 charges ranging from murder to illegal production of weapons and drugs. His trial – and appeals process – took years to complete, and gripped Japan, as police continued to seek other cult members linked to the Tokyo and Matsumoto attacks.
Who is the widow of a Toyko Metro employee who died in the Sarin attack?
Executions in Japan are carried out in secret and without warnings to prisoners' families or lawyers. Shizue Takahashi, a victims group representative and widow of a Toyko Metro employee who died in the sarin attack, told reporters she was “surprised” by the sudden execution.
How many people were killed in the 1995 Shinrikyo attack?
The attack killed 13 people and injured 5,500. Asahara and dozens of his followers were arrested in ...
How many members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult have been executed?
Seven members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, which carried out the deadly 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, have been executed, Japanese officials said Friday.
When was Aum Shinrikyo founded?
Asahara founded Aum Shinrikyo in 1984 and quickly attracted thousands of disciples, combining forecasts of a coming apocalypse – which would come after the US attacked Japan and turned it into a nuclear wasteland – with traditional religious teachings and new age tactics.
Who is the founder of Aum Shinrikyo?
Photo taken Jan. 7, 1990 shows Aum Shinrikyo cult group founder Shoko Asahara (fourth from left) speaking at a press conference in Tokyo to announce a plan to field candidates for the general election.
What did the Sakamotos do to their home?
Prosecutors said cult members entered the Sakamotos’ home as they slept, injected them with lethal doses of potassium chloride and strangled them.
Where was Shoko Asahara born?
Childhood & Early Life. Shoko Asahara was born Chizuo Matsumoto, on March 2, 1955, in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Japan. He was one of the seven children of a poor mat-maker’s family. He suffered from infantile glaucoma since birth, which led to total blindness in his left eye and partial blindness in his right eye.
Who is Shoko Asahara?
Shoko Asahara, born Chizuo Matsumoto, was a cult leader who founded the Japanese doomsday cult group ‘Aum Shinrikyo’ that conducted the deadly Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995. Asahara was partially blind and attended blind school. He also studied acupuncture and pharmacology. He opened a pharmacy specializing in Chinese medicaments but was arrested for selling fake remedies and then convicted for fraud. Following this, his business went bankrupt. Meanwhile, he developed an interest in religion and studied different religious concepts. He eventually started practicing esoteric Buddhism, esoteric Christianity, western esotericism, meditation, and yoga. He founded ‘Aum Shinrikyo’ (later renamed ‘Aleph’) and gradually earned a considerable fan base. By the time the ‘Tokyo Metropolitan Government’ granted the group legal recognition as a religious corporation, Asahara had started calling himself “Tokyo’s Christ”, the “Holy Pope,” and “Saviour of the Country.” He appeared on TV and magazine covers, attended lecture-meetings at universities, and wrote religious books such as ‘Declaring Myself the Christ,’ in which he declared he was the “Christ.” Asahara led several terrorist attacks through his secret organization that gathered firearms, developed biological weapons, and obtained the nerve gas sarin. He was found guilty of masterminding the sarin-gas attack in the Tokyo subway and was executed by Japan for the attack and other crimes.
Why did Asahara resign from Aum Shinrikyo?
By then, Asahara had resigned from ‘Aum Shinrikyo’ in an effort to prevent a forceful dissolution of the organization by the state. Over the years, several appeals were made by his defense team. His team also claimed he was mentally unfit.
How many children did Asahara have?
The couple had 12 children. Asahara opened a pharmacy specializing in Chinese medicaments in Chiba. However, in 1981, he was found guilty of practicing pharmacy without any license and for sale of unregulated drugs. A fine of ¥200,000 was levied on him.
What did Asahara do in 1995?
They also made an effort to conduct bioterrorism using botulinum toxin. According to sources, as Asahara had become aware of a scheduled police raid on the cult on March 22, 1995, he masterminded the Tokyo subway attack to hinder police investigations.
Why did Asahara order the Tokyo subway attack?
According to the argument of the prosecution, Asahara had ordered the Tokyo subway attack to depose the government and put himself in place of the emperor of Japan. The prosecution also suggested that he had ordered the attack to divert the attention of the police from the group.
What books did Asahara write?
Many religious books were authored by him. These include ‘Beyond Life and Death,’ ‘Supreme Initiation, ’ and ‘Declaring Myself the Christ.’. In ‘Declaring Myself the Christ,’ published in 1992, Asahara declared himself the "Christ" and the only fully enlightened master of the country.
How long was the Asahara trial?
The ruling was the climax of a nearly eight-year-long trial. His attorneys had argued that Asahara -- whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto -- had lost control over his flock by the time of the March 20, 1995, subway attack that killed 12 and sickened thousands.
How many counts did Judge Shoji Ogawa have against Asahara?
The verdict came after several hours of proceedings in which Judge Shoji Ogawa detailed the 13 counts against Asahara and dismissed the former guru's claims of innocence.
Who was the cult leader who killed 27 people?
Former doomsday cult guru Shoko Asahara was convicted and sentenced to death for masterminding the deadly 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway and a string of other crimes that killed 27 people.
Who was the murderer of Tsutsumi Sakamoto?
Asahara also was convicted of masterminding a sarin gas attack in June 1994 in the central Japan city of Matsumoto, the murder of anti-Aum lawyer Tsutsumi Sakamoto and his family, and the killings of wayward followers and people helping members leave the cult.
Who was the founder of the Aum Shinrikyo cult?
Asahara, founder of the apocalyptic Aum Shinrikyo cult, also was convicted of ordering his followers to produce and stockpile arsenals of conventional and chemical weapons, including the sarin gas used in the subway attack.
Who was the 12th person to be sentenced to hang for the attacks?
Asahara stood in silence as the verdict -- guilty on all 13 counts against him -- and sentence were read. Asahara is the 12th person sentenced to hang for the attacks, and the decision was widely expected.
Has Asahara been sentenced to the Gallows?
The families of victims welcomed news that Asahara had been sentenced to the gallows.
When did Asahara say the world would end?
But there was a darker side to Asahara's beliefs. He taught that the world would end soon. At first he said the end of the world would take place in 1999; later, he decided the world would end in 1997.
Who Joined Aum Shinrikyo?
What sort of person joined the Aum Shinrikyo cult? Although many of the cult leader's claims sound strange—such as the idea that drinking his bathwater would help one reach enlightenment—what shocked many Japanese was the fact that many Aum Shinrikyo members were well-educated and wealthy. Asahara attracted people with Ph.D. degrees who put together a complex system for manufacturing arms, chemical weapons, biological weapons, and drugs. The cult seemed to attract some of Japan's best and brightest. Indeed, it was through recruiting people educated in science and technology that Asahara was able to put into practice many of his programs, such as developing nerve gas and other weapons and setting up a personal computer assembly plant.
What is the name of the group that Asahara founded?
Asahara later changed the group's name to "Aum Shinrikyo", or "Aum Supreme Truth", in 1987.
Who was the lawyer who sued Asahara?
In 1989, Asahara faced his first major legal obstacle. In the city of Yokohama, Japan, anti-cult lawyer Tsutsumi Sakamoto was filing a class-action suit against Asahara and Aum Shinrikyo on behalf of the Victims' Association. Sakamoto argued that the cult members in Aum were not there voluntarily, but had been deceived into joining the cult and were being held against their will. The goal of Sakamoto's lawsuit was to expose Asahara as a predatory con man, and force him to pay huge sums of money to the families of cult members who had fallen prey to his seductions.
What would happen if Sakamoto won the case?
Asahara knew that, if Sakamoto were to win his case, all his work would go to ruin. Aum would almost certainly go bankrupt, and he would be exposed as a charlatan. He couldn't allow that to happen. When Asahara failed to have the lawsuit against him dismissed, he devised a more sinister solution to the problem. If Sakamoto were to die, the lawsuit would fail and he would be off the hook.
How long did the Aum Shinrikyo ritual last?
When a convert joined Aum Shinrikyo, he would first have to go through a bizarre series of rituals called "Christ Initiations", which lasted for four days.
When did Aum Shinrikyo go under siege?
Two days after the attack, on the morning of March 22nd, 1995 , Aum Shinrikyo found itself under siege. Thousands of police officers and soldiers launched simultaneous raids on 25 Aum facilities all across Japan, confiscating numerous chemicals, weapons, blueprints, laboratory and military equipment, boxes of documents, and computers. The authorities were seizing everything Asahara had tried so hard to keep hidden. Soon, the full scale of Aum Shinrikyo's crimes would be revealed to the entire world.
What did Matsumoto suffer from?
Matsumoto was disabled from birth, and suffered from infantile glaucoma. As a child, he lost all sight in his left eye and went partially blind in right eye.
How many people died in the Tokyo subway attack?
In the bustling city of Tokyo, Japan, 12 people died and thousands were seriously injured when assailants released highly toxic sarin nerve gas into the crowded confines of the Tokyo subway. It was, and still remains, the deadliest act of terrorism in Japanese history.
