EPISODE 133 | Cult Pop Suicide: Japanese Cults Japan is a land of many contradictions - very forward-looking but also retrograde. And when it comes to the spiritual side of things, quite a few people seem to fall for various cults, scammers and charlatans. And just offbeat beliefs, like that Jesus' brother died on the cross while He moved to Aomori Prefecture in northern Honshu, where he married and taught and lived until 106. Like what we do? Then buy us a beer or three via our page on Buy Me a Coffee. Review us here or on IMDb. And seriously, subscribe, will ya? SECTIONS 04:52 - Hey Mister Banjo - The Yamagishi Society07:28 - Hotaru no Hikari (Light of the Fireflies) - Mahikari, the World True Light Civilization Religious Organization10:34 - Nagaragawa Enka (The Enka of the Nagara River) - Life Space Movement, shakty pat and a mummy15:44 - Katatsumuri Samba (Snail Samba) - Ho No Hana Sanpōgyō, the Flower of Buddhist Teaching; Hogen Fukunaga and Yogesh Gandhi donate money to the DNC, kick off Chinagate23:54 - Orokamono (Fool) - Pana-Wave Laboratory, electromagnetic waves, Tama-chan the arctic seal, a police standoff and the end of the world33:50 - Doctor Head's World Tower - Happy Science, EL Cantare, gods from Venus, Komei No Kai sells water, Happy Science gets political, sets records, gets in beefs and embraces MAGA, pioneers "spiritual vaccines"43:41 - Lunatic Doll: Ansatsu Keikoku (Assassination Warning) - Aum Shinrikyo has a real bad attitude, the sarin gas attacks of March 20, 1995 plus other crimes before and after54:26 - Japanese police are unprepared for NRMs, online suicide cults, hikikomori Music by Fanette Ronjat More Info Expo 2025 websiteApples, boogie and shamisen: A Brief look at Japanese Popular Music during the Allied OccupationKazuya Kosaka & the Wagon Masters - Hey Mister Banjo‘Rokabiri’: The Music That Shook Japan on Japan NakamaGlow of the Fireflies/Hotaru no hikari songJapanese Enka MusicNagaragawa Enka song performed by Junko IshiharaKatatsumuri Samba song by Onyanko ClubOrokamono song by Masahiko KondoThe World Tower song by Flipper's GuitarBlack Hole song by Mari HamadaKeeping the Faith: Christ’s Tomb in Aomori and Japanese Religion on Nippon.comThe Grave of Jesus Christ on Travel JapanThe 5 Scariest Japanese Cults on Japan Daily10 Bizarre Japanese Cults You’ve Probably Never Heard Of on ListverseRise of Japanese cults on BBCJapanese Society and Religion on the Eve of the 21st Century by MAEKAWA MichikoWhatever happened to Yamagishi? in Japan TimesThe Yamagishi Association: successful, moneyless, leaderless network of communes in Japan and elsewhere on Lowimpact.orgSukyo Mahikari North America websiteWorld Divine Light websiteJapanese Cults–Koji Takahashi and the Life Space Movement on Japan PoweredThe Corpse And The Cult in NewsweekLife Space Movement (Shakty Pay Guru Foundation) Raided in Japan on Center for Studies on New ReligionsLife Space guru denies suggesting man leave hospital on Japan TimesA battle over mummified body renews worry about Japan cults on DeseretNewsHo No Hana Sanpogyo on Apologetics Index1996 United States campaign finance controversy on WikipediaNew Religious Movement Raided in Japan: Ho No Hana on CESNURHonohana foot-cult guru gets 12 years for fraud on Japan TimesPana Wave Laboratory on World Religions and Spirituality ProjectDoomsday cult makes waves in Japan in The GuardianProbing Pana Wave's natureThe Latest Japanese Cult Panic in Religion in the NewsPana Wave at the Cult Education InstituteA nation's fate is sealed - Guardian article on Tama-chanForeigners seek same rights as seal on Japan TimesPana Wave: Doomsday and Tama-chan the Seal videoPana Wave picturesHappy Science websiteJapan’s infamous ‘happy’ cult sets sights on the United StatesThe Happy Science Religious Movement Claims to Hold the Cure for COVID-19A Japanese Cult That Believes Its Leader Is an Alien From Venus Is Speaking at CPACHow a fringe religious movement in Japan built a pro-Trump social media empireHappy Science Is the Laziest Cult Ever on ViceWhy is Japan the ideal country according to the Alt-Right movementJapan's rising right-wing nationalism videoConsideration of the Status of Conspiracy Theories in Japan Based on Attempts at Regime Destruction Overseas in International Information Network AnalysisQAnon Is Alive and Well in JapanAum Shinrikyo: The Japanese cult behind the Tokyo Sarin attack on BBCChronology of Aum Shinrikyo's CBW Activities paperAum Shinrikyo report at the Ministry of JusticeRevisiting Aum Shinrikyo: New Insights into the Most Extensive Non-State Biological Weapons Program to DateAleph official website (in Japanese)Aum Sect/Shoko Asahara on Cult Education InstituteReligion-Making in Japan’s Courts of LawConspiracy Theories and Their Believers in Contemporary JapanNew Religions in JapanYearning for spiritual leadership, Japan has spawned a rash of apocalyptic religions and ominously popular sects at the Cult Education ...
