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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129 Comments
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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.
Cephus
"Why are there so many cults in Japan?"
That's erroneous conclusion framed as a question. However, on one hand Japan is very spiritual Nation and on the other hand very technological and materialistic. Which makes all harder for foreigners to understand the Japanese mentality and their unique way of life.
Lindsay
To quote an old Poison song, “Give me something to believe in.”
Many Japanese people have lost their faith in Japanese culture, society and economics. As a result, they turn to cults and religions to fill the whole in their life.
Jay
No need for that there AI stuff when addressing an argument so flimsy it practically self-destructs on arrival. But I love that you're trying so hard, so let me help you unpack this suitcase of silliness. First, the discrepancy in crime rates isn't a moral framework issue; it's a cultural one. Japan's culture emphasizes collective responsibility, while the U.S. values individual liberty - different systems, different outcomes. But guess what old chap? Christianity has profoundly influenced the positives in both systems: Japan's sense of duty and ethics owes much to Western CHRISTIAN ideals introduced during modernization, and America's emphasis on liberty stems directly from the CHRISTIAN belief in free will.
Yep, the fiddling in churches happened (and there's a special place in Hell reserved for those responsible), but abuse rates in secular institutions, schools, and even families are just as high, if not higher - sorry, facts don't care about your feelings.
Japan's low gun crime? That's called strict laws and cultural homogeneity (sorry, I know you despise the latter), not some magical moral superiority appear to fantasizing about. And finally, "election of felons"? Well, that will be "Mr. President" to you, whether you like it or not.
So there you have it - it's about Christianity quietly providing the ethical backbone for much of the progress you're enjoying while you smugly bite the hand that feeds you.
リッチ
The article is so misinformed. Cults have nothing to do with religion but the group mentality. You can’t just do something in japan if you really know the Japanese. You must love it and center your life around it. Sports Job clubs etc if you don’t dedicate your nothing here and it’s why so many foreigners never make deep relationships with Japanese. Cults just have their market. But frankly speaking the culture itself is setup as very cultish all around.
albaleo
Is pride not considered a sin in Christianity? I've read the seven deadly sins in Christianity are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth
wallace
70% of Japanese say they are Shintoists or Buddhists, or both. Japanese Christians 1.5%. 7% others.
TaiwanIsNotChina
The claim that christianity is necessary to lead a moral life is debunked by the fact that there are plenty of Hindus, Buddhists, and Agnostics that also lead moral lives.
Daniel Neagari
Depression tends to be a common thing among people with higher education and inteligent. Reduction of birthrates are directly correlated with higher education.
Is up to each what you choose... but personally I prefer to be educated and depressed and ignorant and blissful
Daniel Neagari
I meant " I prefer to be educated and depressed than* ignorant and blissful"... my apologies
Tim Sullivan
I am tired of the daily grind. I should start my own cult. You have to give me all your money and I won't have to pay any tax on it. Sounds good to me.
OssanAmerica
I just wish these Jehovah's Witnesses would stop ringing my doorbell.
Hawk
Let them ring. As you know, there's no law that says you have to answer the doorbell when it rings. Eventually they'll just slip a pamphlet through a slot somewhere and shuffle off. I've sat on my sofa making direct eye contact through the sliding doors with two while they've been standing on my pathway waiting for an answer. They got the message and left.
Hawk
Or, just put a mezuzah on your door.
Tokyo Guy
Living in Tokyo, you can't not see JWs around. I sometimes spend time around Shinjuku station and they're usually hanging around there.
My policy in general is "don't make eye contact with people who seem to have a permanent and rather sinister looking smile on their face".
bass4funk
Not really, depends on your interpretation
Again, depends on the overall interpretation.
wallace
Feeble excuse.
Tokyo Guy
Not really, depends on your interpretation
Again, depends on the overall interpretation.
That sounds kind of evasive. Then again, when you're a supporter of a man who's basically guilty of all seven on a regular basis, I can see how some semantic wiggle room is inevitable.
Roger Gusain
Mormons are not all crazed religious fanatics who do their best to annoy the hell out of you. I worked with a Mormon couple many years ago (both university professors) -- they were lovely and didn't even bother trying to convert their cynical colleague.
nishikat
Can you be specific?
Kuribozu
Happy Science has aligned itself with MAGA and posts daily YouTube videos by Oikawa Yukihisa that parrot extreme alt right conspiracies. They promote Jan 6 trutherism, Q Anon nonsense about liberals murdering children for their bodily fluids, basically every piece of lunacy that Trump World emits. Happy Science are radically pro-Putin and anti-Ukraine. In that sense, they are not too different than a lot of so-called Christian fundamentalists in the US who seem to have fallen into the thrall of the Trump cult. It's just a short stone's throw from here to Jonestown for some of these people. Just a crying shame this insipid disease is spreading to Japan.
falseflagsteve
Would I join a cult? No way Pedro.
Pukey2
TaiwanChina:
I can't believe I actually agree with you for once. For example, the way religion runs your own country, USA, is incredible. The home of the Scientology cult, and the constant insane acts committed by your politicians in the name of religion. And don't get me started on abortion rights, the desire to include creationism in science lessons, physical attacks on Muslims, gays, trans in the name of religion.
TaiwanIsNotChina
And yet little of that has to do with the law, unlike the treatment of Falun Gong, Tibetan Buddhists, or Xinjiang Muslims.
Tokyo Guy
The home of the Scientology cult,
You couldn't invent a more perfect cult for America than Scientology:
It was dreamt up by a science fiction writer, and you can tell. I mean there's some completely ridiculous stuff in any and all religious traditions, but these guys are at a level above that.
It makes no secret of the fact that money and power are its primary motivators.
It believes in using litigation as much as possible to stop dissent.
Luckily (or unluckily, depending on where you stand) it was one of the first religions to encounter the internet, and when their "secret" doctrines were leaked online, people really realised how cuckoo they were...and how expensive it was to get to that level of cuckoo.
Tamarama
Christianity is a Cult. So is Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism etc etc. They are just older cults and have millions and millions of adherents worldwide.
Cults are organisations that have unusual or extreme religious ideas. Sit through any Christian service or Mass and you will be exposed to the unusual or extreme religious ideas they espouse to be factual. Ask any Christian, or Muslim, or Hindu to prove the existence of God, and you'll be met with a stream of redirection, 'leaps of faith', absence of logic, and most tellingly a complete absence of any real evidence.
So, the Japanese are completely in line with any of these people worldwide. They are just involved in newer and smaller cults.
Eat the left
Same reason there's so much superstition: lack of independence.
Geeter Mckluskie
Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism...all are cults
Tokyo Guy
Which one would that be then, eh?
Yeah, this. Someone uploaded this clip to social media of a preacher. I didn't find out his name or anything, but he was black and man, he was good, even to someone of no religious persuasion like myself. Crux of his message: "It bothers me when people say they want America to be a Christian nation. Which Christianity? That of the colonisers? That of the slave owners who told slaves to obey their masters? That of the project 2025 people who even now want to strip women of the right to vote? That of the branches which still do not permit women to preach? Which Christianity?"
Awesome stuff.
wallace
If we lump together all religions into "they are all cults" we will fail to see the dangerous ones like the Aum Shinrikyo was. Other dangerous cults brainwash their members and have them hand over all of their money.
There needs to be a clear distinction between religion and cults.
Geeter Mckluskie
The Spanish Inquisition ring a bell? How about suicide bombing? Ring a bell?
Eat the left
Well someone gets their misinformation from CNN, don't they?
https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/project-2025-verify/no-project-2025-doesnt-call-for-repealing-womens-right-to-vote/536-a6953507-01a1-4158-81ed-d4a32937816c
wallace
Those did not happen here in Japan.
Geeter Mckluskie
So what?
wallace
Those did not happen here in Japan.
If you didn't notice the article is about cults in Japan.
Geeter Mckluskie
Those cults ARE in Japan.
wallace
There are no Catholic or Islamic cults in Japan. So you can name them?
There are about 500,000 Christians and 100,000 Muslims but I have never heard of a cult connected to them.
Please, enlighten me.
Aoi Azuuri
And to make matters worse, those religious cult have strong influence to ruling parties through such as election and distort policy or democracy itself, LDP regime avoids even selectable separate surnames what majority Japanese agree it. Also, present arms race policy while falling citizen into poverty is dogma itself of Unification Church.
CEOB55
Since some commenters are emphatically convinced that all religions are cults we should go all in and add various secular religions like atheism, agnosticism a/k/a the Know Nothings, Marxism, Nazism, Peronism, climatism, DEIism, transgenderism and Wokism.
Wesley
Why are there so many cults in Japan?
Because of Japanese people's inability to say "NO!" when these cult members try to brainwash them into joining.
Harry_Gatto
A couple of ladies from our local Sukyo Mahikari HQ turned up at our house two days after we moved in after obviously being tipped off by the ward office. I politely declined their invitation to attend and requested, again politely, that they not return. Nine years later and they haven't tried again.
N. Knight
All religions are cults
N. Knight
How can you possibly say an absence of belief is a a religion? The clue is literally in the word "atheist"
N. Knight
For me these are the cults... Interesting costumes and some pretty good rituals... Sounds a bit cultish to me.
wallace
If all religions are cults but Freedom of Religion is protected by the Constitution you can live with that.
If a distinction can be made between a religion and a cult then dangerous cults can be closed down.
Buddhists are atheists.
wallace
There Are Up To 10,000 cults in the United States but not all cults are religions.
N. Knight
Generally Buddhism is considered a religion.
N. Knight
Yes
N. Knight
Yes as long as they are not hurting people, bothering anyone else or abusing their followers, then they can spout whatever supernatural mumbo jumbo nonsense that they want.
wallace
By whom?
I have been a practicing Buddhist for more than 50 years and do not consider it a religion. There are no gods, no worship.
Buddhism is a non-theistic tradition, meaning that it does not involve a belief in God. The focus of Buddhism is on the nature of the mind.
How is that a religion?
Geeter Mckluskie
Certainly. Catholicism and Islam
Geeter Mckluskie
see above
Geeter Mckluskie
"Generally, Buddhism is considered a religion."
Google "Religions of Japan"
Sister Jane
After having read this, I suppose almost anything that 2 people agree to believe is a cult, in short the definition of cult here is a little too broad. For me a cult is anybody believing and worshiping the State and politicians, in a little more detail I suppose one can include anything that is extremely radical from the norm. I digress, basically I thought the article was bad.
NCIS Reruns
From personal experience I would say that the one characteristic that distinguishes cults from conventional religions is the degree of pressure put on members to proselytize in order to gain new adherents. Cults tend to go overboard on this, although I think the same thing can be said by multi-level marketing. One major difference: the Japanese government has begun to crack down on multi-level marketing.
Geeter Mckluskie
Islam and Christianity are remarkable for their adherents proselytising. The primary goal of a Christian missionary is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inculcate people to become disciples, for example.
Geeter Mckluskie
According to Islamic doctrine, what is the penalty for apostasy (i.e. leaving the cult)?
Toblerone
There are no deities in Buddhism. That is where some study helps.
Wallace, that is simply not true.
Toblerone
Those did not happen here in Japan.
Ever heard of the kamikazes? They killed themselves by deliberately crashing their planes into enemy ships. They did this in service to the Emperor, who was considered a Living God - in Buddhist Japan.
wallace
Theravada
"Also known as Southern Buddhism or the Teaching of the Elders, Theravada is considered the oldest form of Buddhism. It focuses on individual enlightenment and Nirvana and is conservative in its traditions. Theravada is practiced in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos. They are the theoretical teachings."
Deities are part of Theravada Buddhism.
Mahayana
"Also known as "The Great Vehicle", Mahayana is the most widely practiced school of Buddhism. It emphasizes the ideal of the Bodhisattva, who helps others attain enlightenment instead of pursuing personal Nirvana. Mahayana Buddhists believe that the goal of Buddhism is to achieve Buddhahood."
"Shakyamuni's teachings were the basis for Mahayana Buddhism, which emerged around 500 years after his death."
"Mahayana Buddhism, or "the greater vehicle", is a new version of Buddhism that developed in northwest India and spread along the Silk Road to China. Mahayana Buddhism differs from the original teachings of the Buddha in several ways."
"Buddhist teachings taught that the gods, though powerful to aid beings in their worldly life, were irrelevant for gaining enlightenment and spiritual development. No amount of devotion or praying to a god will bring Buddhist enlightenment. In fact, according to Buddhism, the gods themselves need to be enlightened."
The School of Buddhism I have practiced for many decades does not have worship or deities.
I believe this school of Buddhism is not a religion but also atheist since there is no belief in God(s).
I practice the Buddha's Lotus Sutra and consider that supreme to all other sutras. There are no Gods or worship.
wallace
Killing is never part of any Buddhism.
N. Knight
Belief in a deity is not a requirement for a religion.
deanzaZZR
This is fundamentally inaccurate. Buddhism was suppressed during the early 20th century Japan imperialism with the promotion of State Shintoism with Emperor Hirohito at the top of the State Shinto heap.
N. Knight
Sōhei were not Buddhist then? Historians would disagree.
wallace
I do not accept the Sōhei were practicing true Buddhism. Buddhists do not kill.
N. Knight
Yes. Have seen those horrendous people cycling around in Japan to spread their bile and try to entice people into their particular brand of Christianity. They are usually American. I was accosted in a hotel lobby in Yokohama by one of them. I had to tell him quite forcibly to F.O. in the end.
Toblerone
Buddhists do not kill.
Wallace, I’m hearing a lot of blanket statements from you and they are not correct.
There are circumstances in Buddhism where force - including killing - is appropriate.
Toblerone
The School of Buddhism I have practiced for many decades does not have worship or deities.
Wallace, You mean your particular school (I won’t call it a cult).
You said, There are no deities in Buddhism. Perhaps this is true for the version you practice but it is decidedly not true when speaking generally of Buddhism. Or do you want to tell us that only your practice is the true Buddhism?
Toblerone
This is fundamentally inaccurate. Buddhism was suppressed during the early 20th century Japan imperialism with the promotion of State Shintoism with Emperor Hirohito at the top of the State Shinto heap.
Hundreds of years of Buddhism in Japan disappeared because for a trifling period of time a Japanese government “suppressed” it? And it magically sprang back to life immediately after World War 2? How you look down upon Japan, and force it neatly into your misconceptions.
wallace
Killing of others goes against the Buddhist teaching. Acts of self-defense are accepted.
wallace
There are many schools of Mahayana Buddhism without Gods, deities, and worship. Shakyamuni Buddha encouraged his followers to practice only the teaching of the Lotus Sutra which many millions believe to be the True Buddhism.
Ah_so
They are all religions, not cults. However, all religions can have cult like elements growing out of them.
To dismiss everything as a cult means that you can't see the really damaging cults beneath them. These are cults that dominate people's lives, take all their money, create an insider/outsider environment, and control every aspect of their lives.
If you look at two offshoots of Christianity, Jehovah Witnesses definitely fit the criteria of a cult, whereas the Mormons are probably not, despite the obviously fictional stories spun by Joseph Smith.
wallace
The Sōhei were former Buddhist monks who became warriors to protect the lands and assets of the temple they belonged to. They were also like the 10th Century. There are no warriors in the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Ah_so
Why they did it is your interpretation. I disagree that they did it specifically for religious reasons and have never seen evidence to suggest that they did.
They did it for Japan, which they believed was at a point of existential threat and that it was a self-sacrifice they were prepared to make.
Furthermore, many pilots were not given any real choice but to "volunteer" for kamikaze service. It was an idea dreamt up by command as a way to fend off the advancing US Navy.
Toblerone
Acts of self-defense are accepted.
Not only self-defence, but also defending others. And that includes taking a life or lives when necessary.
Toblerone
Shakyamuni Buddha encouraged his followers to practice only the teaching of the Lotus Sutra which many millions believe to be the True Buddhism.
Wallace, now you are in cult/sectarian territory.
wallace
My school of Buddhism does not even come close to being a cult.
Geeter Mckluskie
A remarkable thing about cults is those who are in them aren't aware of being in a cult
wallace
It always amazes me when someone who hasn't practiced and studied knows much more than those who have studied and practiced for many decades.
WoodyLee
Lots of Lost Souls, that's why.
Ah_so
People can't even agree on whether it is a religion, let alone calling it a religious cult, so we need to be careful about labelling others with pejorative terms such as "cult", and if you do, have very good reasons why you use those terms.
We need to be careful about getting too argumentative about definitions. When you are disagreeing about something being a religion, make clear what definition you are using. Buddhism is most commonly seen as a religion, including by many followers, and while it lacks a central God figure, it has many of the elements and trappings that we see with other religions, such as a belief in supernatural forces and concepts, which like karma and nirvana, play roles that one would typically find in theistic religions.
Geeter Mckluskie
The difference between a religion and a cult is that one is more established and is granted more respect due to the number of its followers and the infrastructure in place to prop it up as being more legitimate...C'est tout
smithinjapan
Whitney Hubbel needs to learn a few things. The biggest cult in the world is Christianity, but I didn't hear much about that. Worst and most violent historically and currently as well, too. Didn't hear much on that. Worst wars and violence Japan has suffered was when it tried to be like the West, and people, as they do with leaders world-wide now (like MAGA), worshipped their leader like people worship God -- doing anything and everything in his name, but actually just to gain more material goods or do so for the people the deem the gods.