Japan is often labeled an atheist country — a claim that depends on how you define religion. Yet, for a nation perceived as one of the least religious in the world, Japan has a lot of cults — thousands, in fact. Despite their reputation and the public’s general skepticism, new-age religious groups have not only taken root but continue to attract followers. So why are there so many cults in Japan? What makes them attractive to their followers? Here’s what you need to know about cults in Japan.
Note: It’s important to note that the word “cult” is subjective, often depending on one’s perspective of what constitutes a legitimate religious movement versus a fringe group.
- Religion in Japan
- The Rise of Cults in Japan
- Scandals and Terrorist Attacks
- The Shinzo Abe Assassination
- Government Action Against Cults
- Cult Attraction and Recruitment
- A Spiritual Void After World War II
- From Social Reform to Self-Improvement
- Modern Vulnerabilities and Broader Impacts
- Major ‘Cults’ in Japan
Religion in Japan
Japanese cults often draw from ancient religious and philosophical traditions that have shaped the country’s history. Shinto, the indigenous religion, remained central to Japanese culture even after Buddhism arrived in the 6th century. The interaction between these two religions has significantly influenced Japanese society, and most cults in Japan are inspired by these traditions.
Many people practice rituals from both religions, even if they don’t identify as religious, which makes cults seem less extreme to potential followers. Cult founders are often seen as ikigai, a Shinto concept meaning a living human deity. Many cults also incorporate elements of Confucianism and Taoism.
The Rise of Cults in Japan
Societal upheaval and social turmoil have played major roles in the development of cults in Japan. A few major cults originated in the 1860s during the violent Bakumatsu period, right before the Meiji restoration. However, the past century has seen a major development in the number of new religions, or “cults,” in Japan.
Experts suggest that the end of emperor worship and the abolition of State Shinto after WWII created a spiritual vacuum in Japan. The Allied occupation also reshaped Japan’s government, lifting censorship on religious organizations and granting them tax exemptions. During the economic boom of the 1970s and 1980s, growing alienation from an increasingly materialistic society drove many Japanese people toward new religions, leading to the rise of more cults and gurus.
In recent years, the number of new members joining these new religions has increased while attendance at traditional places of worship like Buddhist temples has declined. Today, there are about 183,000 officially registered religions in Japan, and about 2,000 of them have a substantial following. Some are not even religions at all but cover for organized crime or tax evasion. It is estimated that 10 to 20 percent of Japan’s population is connected to one of these new religions.
Scandals and Terrorist Attacks
Japanese people once viewed new religious movements as strange but harmless. That perception shifted dramatically in March 1995, when the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo released sarin gas on the Tokyo subway, killing 13 and injuring nearly 6,000. This remains Japan’s worst domestic terrorist attack. And it’s the only instance of a private group using a weapon of mass destruction. The incident marked a turning point, increasing public and governmental suspicion of cults.
The Shinzo Abe Assassination
The assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2021 further fueled controversy surrounding cults in Japan. The gunman, using a homemade firearm, blamed Abe for promoting the Unification Church, claiming the organization had financially ruined his family. His mother, a member for 30 years, had allegedly been coerced into making significant donations, leaving the family bankrupt. The Unification Church has faced numerous lawsuits from former members alleging similar practices of financial exploitation under the guise of spiritual salvation.
Although Abe was not a member of the Unification Church, he appeared remotely as a speaker at a church event in 2021. Additionally, his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, is believed to have cultivated ties with the church due to their shared anti-communist ideology. Following Abe’s assassination, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida launched an investigation into the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). It revealed that nearly half of its lawmakers (179 out of 379) had some form of connection to the Unification Church.
Government Action Against Cults
In response to these controversies, the Japanese government has implemented measures to address cult activities. The Unification Church scandal prompted the passage of a law prohibiting organizations from using threats or coercion to solicit funds and allowing victims to reclaim their money.
As for Aum Shinrikyo, the cult’s leader and 12 other members were executed after spending two decades on death row. However, the group continues to operate under the name Aleph and is still attracting new followers. Even today, members are closely watched by Japanese authorities.
Despite government crackdowns and public scrutiny, cults remain a pervasive issue in Japan. New religious movements continue to emerge, often targeting vulnerable individuals seeking community or spiritual answers. While efforts to curb exploitative practices are underway, the complex history and ongoing controversies surrounding cults underscore the difficulty of addressing this deeply ingrained societal issue.
Cult Attraction and Recruitment
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Concerned Citizen
This is very poor reporting and irresponsible of JT to publish it. Japan has religious freedom and unless actually breaking the law residents are free to practise as thier conscience leads.
Tarnishing many sincere believers (Soga Gakkai, etc) with the pejorative "cult" label and lumping them in with Aleph is harsh.
BTW, social scientists avoid using the word "cult" because it cannot be defined clearly. One man's cult is another's save haven.
Another BTW..... All the present major religions were at first labeled as "cults". Look at them now.
Jay
Easy one Hubbell - it stems from a spiritual vacuum created by materialism, atheism, and the rejection of true faith. When people abandon GOD and the family values that provide moral grounding, they become easy prey for exploitative cults promising meaning and belonging.
In my humble and down-to-earth opinion, I would quite rightly suggest it's the bitter fruit of centuries of spiritual disarray, rooted in the brutal persecution of Christians in the 16th and 17th centuries. When the Tokugawa shogunate silenced the Gospel with brutal violence and death sentences, they consequently replaced truth and family-centered morality with a void that modern cults today eagerly exploit.
Strip a nation of the light of Christ, and you leave it vulnerable to the darkness of manipulation, exploitation, and false promises.
TaiwanIsNotChina
On the upside, they aren't zombified like hundreds of other countries.
TaiwanIsNotChina
To a certain extent it's probably expected in a country without abrahamic religion (the largest cults), but as long as they teach critical thinking in school they should be okay.
Ah_so
Some might say "Zombie worshiping apocalyptic death cult", because it is all the eye of the beholder.
Ah_so
Japan has a lot of people who don't fit into society well - people who are questioning their direction and are finding something lacking. They may also lack friends and a community around them.
These are exactly the type of people that cults target. They provide them with a place, a role, a community, and a goal. Techniques such as love bombing make the people feel welcome, and before long they are fully in the cult.
As mentioned above, it is difficult to define a cult, but Steven Hassan's BITE model is widely regarded as having the best list of characteristics of a cult.
https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model-pdf-download/
wallace
Japan has never been a Christian country just like many others.
wallace
Poor reporting. Soka Gakkai is not a cult.
Mr Kipling
The definition of a "cult" is the religion down the road that you don't believe in.
All religions are "cults".
Fighto!
They are mostly wackjobs - some harmful only to the members, some potential terrorists, with Aum being the extreme. Preying on the lost and vulnerable is a common theme.
One of the more memorable is the Happy Science cult - and its political wing, the Happiness Realization Party. Their leader claimed to be the reincarnation of a "Supreme being from Venus". A key policy is raising Japan's population to 300 million people. I remember posters of them popping up about 15 years ago for the national election, the candidates smiling manically as if they'd dropped some acid. Also, they are strong supporters of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
factchecker
Societal pressure to conform in every way has a lot to answer for. People need a release from it, joining a cult seems to be a way out for some.
Zaphod
A question of definition, no? Japanese does not even have a specific word for "cult". Personally, I prefer the definition that says a "cult" is all-consuming belief system that is totally devoted to a particular leader or icon. Thus, e.g. the Unification Church would be both a religion and a cult, but e.g. climatism or genderism would be cults, but not religions.
Negative Nancy
Like all religions, they are designed and function on making people feel better by being in a community. They offer some people comfort and hope. The benefits of singing in a group, for example, have been proven, the same for feeling a sense of belonging.
The 20th Century saw loss of traditional community as people moved away from farming in the area where they were born into 'modern' urban-based work. The aftermath of WW2 also surely had an effect. The so-callled cults did an excellent job of filling a gap for a lot of people who would otherwise be neglected- immigrants and the working class in particular.
Some dude
Layman's guess: from a very young age, Japanese kids are involved in "groups" of one kind or another. Homeroom, club activity, etc. Then at work you're part of a section. You're always part of something. I think some Japanese sociologist said that the building block of Japanese society isn't the individual, it's the small group.
Following on from that, the notion of being "out" of your group is a big deal, which cults can seize on when trying to recruit people.
For instance, in western countries, they play more on people's insecurity or vanity to get them to join by playing up the whole "we are a group apart and anyone not in our group is a lower form of life". In Japan, it would be more a case of maintaining the feeling of being part of something bigger than oneself.
browny1
The US with it's religious background - predominantly Christian - also has seen a century or more of cults ( for the want of a better word) develop.
The infamous like The Davidians (WACO), Children of God (David Berg), People's Temple (Jin Jones) etc are all shored up by tons of "minor" cults, including some of those in the article, like The Unification Church or Soka Gakkai or Happy Science.
So it seems Christianity is not the saving grace for a country from cultism.
As alluded to in hte article - a void in people's lives, a sense of belonging born out of loneliness or confusion, a need to stem fear in their lives whether through salvation of some sort or cleansing, a reprieve from hopelessness, a belief in grand conspiracies or even a form of rebellion against the status quo etc.
Cult leaders prey on those people - and their wallets.
No society is free from their grip and organized religion will not preclude their existence.
Some dude
A question of definition, no? Japanese does not even have a specific word for "cult". Personally, I prefer the definition that says a "cult" is all-consuming belief system that is totally devoted to a particular leader or icon. Thus, e.g. the Unification Church would be both a religion and a cult, but e.g. climatism or genderism would be cults, but not religions.
Can't remember who said it - could have been Frank Zappa - but "the only difference between a religion and a cult is how much real estate you own".
Some dude
Japan has never been a Christian country
One of many reasons I like it here.
Ricky Kaminski13
I would have no problem with these so-called 'cults' which tend to prey on lonely people, often the highly suggestible types, for being a place to connect and make commune, but the dark side of the story is that nearly all of them milk money from their followers and create pyramid-like schemes where they are sent out to find more souls to save. (as in cash savings)
For the commentators above claiming these cults, hybrid philosophies, pseudo religions, spiritual groups, whatever you want to call them are harmless, I'd beg to differ on those grounds alone.
They could even be considered the worst kind of people, stealing from those they claim to be healing. Manipulative and calculating.
A bit more of the old critical thinking wouldn't go astray here in Japan as a way to get those numbers being milked down, but they do fill a void that society is lacking in one way or another. Our beloved Nippon can be a very lonely place for a fairly large section of the population. Cults will always be there for those types. Lurking, luring, waiting.
grc
Perhaps joining a cult is a way for people to belong to a group and not have to worry about taking individual responsibility
Jay
Yet there you are here basking in the freedoms and moral foundations built by millenia of Christian influence. Without Christianity shaping the very legal and cultural framework that lets you express such a hypocritical opinion, you'd probably still be dodging Viking raids or living under feudal despotism. To not be a completely ungrateful git, you should at the very least thank Christianity for giving you the luxury to sneer at it so disgustingly.
And if you can't even do that, hand back the Christmas cakes, the twinkling lights, and the December holidays you freeload off every year. Funny how Christianity is a problem until it's time for a holiday, isn't it?
gaijintraveller
Is there a religion that could not be described as a cult?
Some dude
Yet there you are here basking in the freedoms and moral foundations built by millenia of Christian influence. Without Christianity shaping the very legal and cultural framework that lets you express such a hypocritical opinion, you'd probably still be dodging Viking raids or living under feudal despotism. To not be a completely ungrateful git, you should at the very least thank Christianity for giving you the luxury to sneer at it so disgustingly.
Er. Japan's "freedoms and moral foundations" are based, if anything, on the predominant moral forces which have shaped Japan over the millennia. Mainly Shinto and Buddhism.
I don't have to thank christianity for anything, and if I choose to sneer at it, I can do so on terms that I choose. Likewise, you have the freedom to fly into a rage and go on the attack every time someone expresses an opinion about christianity that bothers you. Ain't life fun.
wallace
I am happy not to live in a Christian country and follow and practice my Buddhism as I have done for 50 years.
Jay
Was talking about your once-beautiful homeland of England but if you want to talk about the religious cornerstones of Japan, sorry, but you don't get to rewrite history to suit your narrative. Modern Japan's freedoms and moral framework owe FAR more to the Meiji Westernization reforms and the U.S.-drafted post-war constitution than ringing a damn bell and clapping three times. Without those CHRISTIAN-influenced Western ideals, Japan would be living in a feudal society or under imperial rule. Ain't history enlightening?
So, while you gleefully sneer at Christianity, you might want to thank it for indirectly giving you the freedom to do so without being censored or exiled. Or, give back those cakes.
bass4funk
Been a proud religious Christian person all of my life, will continue until my final breath, I admire other religions, but they're not for me. Each to his own.
OssanAmerica
Japan does indeed have many cults. But so does the United States, South Korea, Brazil, France, India and Russia. Nearly all countries that have any degree of religious freedom has them.
wallace
The worst religious people are the ones who peach and ram their beliefs down your throat. Claiming their God to be almighty, and one I have never believed in. The constitution allows for all religious freedoms people can follow or not. Christian missionaries like the Mormons come here to try and convert others to their misguided faith.
bass4funk
But they can preach that all day long if they like whether someone likes to hear it or not, NOW if you don't like it, believe or accept it that is your right as well. Both sides can express themselves the way they want.
If you think their faith is misguided, that is your thinking; they don't believe so, if they try and convert and people want to be converted or believe in their teachings, then that is their prerogative. I don't believe in the Mormon religion, but I have Mormon friends, and they are usually kind and decent people. I don't believe in Buddhism, but if people want to believe that it is a superior religion or think it is then fine by me. I don't think that it is.
Some dude
Was talking about your once-beautiful homeland of England but if you want to talk about the religious cornerstones of Japan, sorry, but you don't get to rewrite history to suit your narrative. Modern Japan's freedoms and moral framework owe FAR more to the Meiji Westernization reforms and the U.S.-drafted post-war constitution than ringing a damn bell and clapping three times. Without those CHRISTIAN-influenced Western ideals, Japan would be living in a feudal society or under imperial rule. Ain't history enlightening?
Let's say for argument's sake (and to humour you) that you're right. So now, according to you, Japan, a country in which something like one to two per cent of people identify as followers of dead Jewish zombie cult, operates on a moral framework based on dead Jewish zombie cult. You presumably consider America to operate on the same dead Jewish zombie cult.
Why then does America consider that schoolchildren are acceptable target practice as long as people can have guns, whereas in Japan gun ownership among regular people is almost nonexistent and school shootings are unheard of?
Why did America elect a man who's broken almost every commandment there is?
Why does America have such a problem with religious abuse of the young?
If Japan and America both base their morals on dead Jewish zombie cult, why the differences?
wallace
Buddhism is not a religion. It's a philosophy and way of living without a God or commandments.
Tokyo Guy
I always liked the quote from Christopher Hitchens.
“Since it is inconceivable that all religions can be right, the most reasonable conclusion is that they are all wrong.”
bass4funk
I disagree, but whatever...
But they still have certain guidelines and rules that should be traditionally followed, so in that sense, it is a form of Commandment.
wallace
What about the other three countries in the UK?
Fighto!
I always find it interesting that those who loudly and proudly proclaim to be unwavering "Christians", actually seem the most un-Christian through their words and attitudes toward others.
Just an observation, however.
Tokyo Guy
On the issue of Buddhism being a religion or not, there's a whole discussion on it in a great book called "The Monk and the Philosopher".
Bottom line is, it doesn't matter if it's one or the other as long as its adherents get something out of it.
Of the dominant religions (or whatever) out there, Buddhism seems like one of the lesser evils. The book I mentioned above is a dialogue between a father (who was a well known French philosopher and strongly critical of religion) and his son (who went from a scientific background to being a Buddhist monk). Notably, there is very little criticism of other religions in the book at all, which stands in glaring contrast to...some people.
wallace
Buddhism is not a religion.
But you have never studied Buddhism in any depth. What is a religion for you?
It's a philosophy and way of living without a God or commandments.
There are no rules in Buddhism. Guidelines are not orders or commandments.
Why do Christians believe in the Ten Commandments when Christianity says it is not required to follow anything in the Old Testament?
John-San
Their definition of a cult places would The Fanta Fascist and MAGA at the top of Japan list. Just look at support from the Forum community on Japan Today.
bass4funk
I don't need to study it in depth and many things can be considered religion or following some form of spiritual beliefs which could be referred to as a form of organized religion.
But many of the practices and deities are the same or similar within that religion.
But the practices still need to be followed whether you go to a Shrine or Temple, funeral ceremony, group of people, blessing of a residence etc.
People do what they want to do, Christians don't need to follow an organized form of religion to have a relationship with God.
wallace
But you have never studied Buddhism in any depth. What is a religion for you?
You can be a Buddhist and practice your faith without belonging to any organized group—tens of millions do.
As a child, I studied Christianity then rejected it at 16 years.
There are no rules in Buddhism.
There are no deities in Buddhism. That is where some study helps.
Guidelines are not orders or commandments.
Many Buddhists do not belong to temples, I do not, and Shrines are not Buddhist. There is no such thing as a blessing. You are confusing it, Grasshopper, with others. Study would help you out.
Why do Christians believe in the Ten Commandments when Christianity says it is not required to follow anything in the Old Testament?
But according to you, Buddhism does.
Buddhism is non-theistic, Grasshopper.
bass4funk
Sure
I see.
But many of the practices and deities are the same or similar within that religion.
If people want to do that, go for it.
But the practices still need to be followed whether you go to a Shrine or Temple, funeral ceremony, group of people, blessing of a residence etc.
I am not confusing anything and I never mentioned anything about blessings.
Naw, I'm good
That depends, I think the Ten Commandments are an excellent blueprint as to how people should conduct themselves in daily life, that doesn't need necessarily a religious component to guide you, just common sense then.
Yes
I never said it was, I said they do follow certain guidelines within the religion.
wallace
"But the practices still need to be followed whether you go to a Shrine or Temple, funeral ceremony, group of people, blessing of a residence etc."
There is no such thing as a blessing.
"I am not confusing anything and I never mentioned anything about blessings."
What guidelines Grasshopper?
wallace
When I lived in Kobe I found a Muslim Mosque, Jewish Synagogue, Indina Jain Temple, Christian church, famous Shinto Shrine, and a Buddhist Temple all in the same area.
Great Bird
That makes no sense.
Your examples don't fit your definition. Who or what is the leader or icon of "climatism" and "genderism"?
Maga would have been a good example for your definition btw.
Jay
First off, calling Christianity a 'dead Jewish zombie cult' is peak edgy middle school energy - congrats on staying 14 forever... and consider those Christmas cakes officially confiscated.
Second, Japan's modern moral framework owes more to Western influence during the Meiji era and post-WWII constitutional reforms - both heavily shaped by **Christian values** - than your nihilistic snack-fueled pontifications.
As for America, last I checked, "love thy neighbor" isn't a policy platform, and free will means people can choose to be garbage - kind of like your argument. And if you think Japan's low crime rates are thanks to atheism, maybe consider that it's due to cultural collectivism and strict law enforcement, not your Netflix-and-despair philosophy.
But hey, keep blaming it for everything while you worship at the altar of Reddit threads and Marmalade white bread.
CEOB55
This is terrible reporting and should have been spiked by the editor. The author identifies only a few cults like Aum. Sokka Gakkai is definitely not a cult despite its other issues. SG was a typical lay organization within the Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist sect. After years of dispute with Nichiren Shoshu, the Nichiren High Priest at the Taisekiji main temple near Fujinomiya expelled SG from Nichiren Shoshu in 1992. Since then SG has pretty much operated as a quasi Buddhist sect on its own— that led to the formation of the Komeito party. Hubbell seems a bit clueless about religion in Japan.
SomeWeeb
TL/DR: People feel lost and afraid and they cling to anyone who can make up something to live for. E.G. how Trump won twice. Charlatans rule the world because good people are too busy being useful to other people to step up and take power.
Hawk
That clubhouse looks awesome.
Some dude
First off, calling Christianity a 'dead Jewish zombie cult' is peak edgy middle school energy - congrats on staying 14 forever... and consider those Christmas cakes officially confiscated.
Took you long enough to reply. Was ChatGPT busy?
Anyway, I don't celebrate Christmas. You're welcome to the cakes. And I note that you are even triggered by "peak edgy middle school energy", which doesn't say much for the depth of your faith.
Second, Japan's modern moral framework owes more to Western influence during the Meiji era and post-WWII constitutional reforms - both heavily shaped by Christian values - than your nihilistic snack-fueled pontifications.
So, like I mentioned earlier, why the huge discrepancy in things like crime and kiddy fiddling in churches? You didn't even try and address those points, because you know that you can't. If Japan's moral framework owes a lot to "Western" (and face it, you mean "American") influence, why the difference in crime rates, attitude towards guns, election of felons, etc.?
As for America, last I checked, "love thy neighbor" isn't a policy platform,
"Love thy neighbor" is from the christian bible. You just admitted that US government policy is not based on the bible, which contradicts everything you have said up to this point.
and free will means people can choose to be garbage - kind of like your argument
Always so angry. Always, always so angry. And you wonder why people consider religion a joke.
. And if you think Japan's low crime rates are thanks to atheism, maybe consider that it's due to cultural collectivism and strict law enforcement, not your Netflix-and-despair philosophy.
And this cultural collectivism, you insist, is due to the "western moral framework" which you insist is the building block of Japanese morality. Would you like a bandage for that footbullet?
But hey, keep blaming it for everything while you worship at the altar of Reddit threads and Marmalade white bread.
Marmalade white bread. That's a new one to me. And Reddit? I rarely even look at that place,and on the odd time I have, it makes this place almost seem civilised.
You're welcome to keep your blood pressure up by responding, but know this: you are never going to convert me and your insults merely demonstrate your lack of emotional self control.