The Aum Shinrikyo Thread

[HanSolo]

I think it's pretty common for death row to take a long time. In the US they sit there about 15 years. Exonerations usually come through around 11-12 years, so it's partly related to "give it time to be absolutely sure". Still, pretty long in his case.

 

[thomas]

That's what I call a clean-up.

Japan sends last six Aum death row inmates to the gallows

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/07/26/national/crime-legal/justice-ministry-begins-procedures-begin-execute-remaining-aum-members-death-row/

 

[musicisgood]

I actually didn't know there were more to be hung. But good that it may be a healing process for those that have suffered.

 

[thomas]

According to the Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA), the second son of executed Aum Shinrikyō founder Shōkō Asahara, not Chizuo Matsumoto, has become the de facto leader of Aleph, the successor group to the doomsday cult, and is regarded as its "second-generation guru." The PSIA's statement is part of the ongoing government vigilance surrounding individuals connected to Matsumoto, who was also known by his religious alias, Shōkō Asahara.

Matsumoto was executed in 2018 for orchestrating the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack, leaving 14 people dead and injuring thousands. On 22 July, the agency disclosed that his second son has effectively led Aleph's activities for nearly ten years. It also concluded that Matsumoto's widow continues to play a significant behind-the-scenes role in supporting her son's leadership.

Additionally, the agency has submitted a request to a Justice Ministry commission to extend an order that restricts Aleph's activities, including the use of its facilities and acceptance of donations. It marks the sixth consecutive request in this regard. The current order, for six months, is set to expire on Sept. 20. And in an unprecedented move, the agency sought to prohibit Aleph from acquiring or leasing new facilities in 12 prefectures, including Hokkaido, Saitama and Chiba. As of April 2025, the group operated around 20 facilities nationwide and had an estimated 1,190 followers, according to the PSIA. In its latest request, the agency for the first time listed the son, along with another individual, as leaders of Aleph. The announcement comes on the heels of the discovery in April of tens of millions of yen in cash hidden in an apartment in Saitama Prefecture where Matsumoto's widow and second son lived. The series of crackdown efforts is being carried out under legislation targeting organizations responsible for indiscriminate mass murder, a law intended to keep Aum Shinrikyo's successors under surveillance.

Son of executed Aum founder acknowledged as new cult leader | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Son of executed Aum Shinrikyo founder identified as Aleph leader

The unnamed 31-year-old son of Chizuo Matsumoto has been “involved in organizational decision-making and is leading Aleph’s operations.”

www.japantimes.co.jp

 

[thomas]

Last Thursday, the Tokyo High Court rejected a state appeal in a lawsuit concerning the remains and hair of Matsumoto Chizuo and ordered that they be handed over to his second daughter. Matsumoto, widely known as Asahara Shoko, was executed in 2018. Following his execution, his second daughter filed suit seeking the return of his remains and hair, which the government had retained.

​

In the first trial, the Tokyo District Court ordered the government to hand over the remains to the daughter, a decision the state subsequently appealed. During the appeal, the government argued that revealing the location of the remains could lead to their becoming a "sacred site" for Aum followers and could encourage the activities of successor groups, while the daughter's side maintained that the remains would not be handed over to the cult. In its ruling on February 5th, the Tokyo High Court stated that "the danger posed by Aum Shinrikyo and its successor groups has not been eliminated," noting that if the remains were to leak outside, they could be used as a powerful source of attraction for the group, posing a serious threat to public safety and social order.

His daughter had explicitly declared she would not pass the remains to the cult and had also indicated she would contact police or other authorities without delay should any irregular situation arise in their custody. On that basis, the court concluded that the state's appeal lacked sufficient grounds, dismissed it, and instructed the government to transfer the remains to her.

Remains of Executed Aum Leader to Be Returned to Daughter

The Tokyo High Court on February 5th dismissed an appeal by the state in a lawsuit over the remains and hair of Matsumoto Chizuo, a former death row inmate and leader of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, and ordered the government to hand them over to his second daughter.

newsonjapan.com

 

[thomas]

Jake Adelstein on how Aum procured Sarin nerve gas from yakuza sources:

On this day 31 years ago, the Aum Shinrikyo cult released a powerful nerve gas on the Tokyo subway during the morning rush hour. A yakuza group may have been an unwitting accomplice in the attack.

How a cult tricked the yakuza to make a lethal nerve gas — and the murder that benefitted them both

On this day 31 years ago, the Aum Shinrikyo cult, released a powerful nerve gas on the Tokyo subway during the morning rush hour. A yakuza group may have been an unwitting accomplice in the attack.

tokyopaladin.substack.com