The “Aum Incident” as a Catalyst for Societal Critique: An Analysis of Letters to the Editor of Asahi Shinbun on Aum Shinrikyō

Patricia Sophie Mayer

doi:10.2478/vjeas-2021-0006

Abstract

Abstract This article analyses the discussion of Aum Shinrikyō in letters to the editor of one of the major Japanese newspapers, Asahi Shinbun, through the method of qualitative content analysis. The examination focuses on two aspects of the letters in order to uncover how Aum is understood and localised in a bigger context: first, how Aum itself is discussed, and second, what topics are brought up in relation to the group. The analysis reveals that Aum was rarely referred to as a cult or a false religion, but more often merely as a religion, which is subsequently associated with negative notions. The majority of letters, however, did not specify the nature of Aum at all. This is congruent with the topics covered in the letters, since the content of a large portion of them is not concerned with Aum directly but with a more abstract critique of society and authorities. Letters to the editor of Asahi Shinbun for a large part do not make use of sensationalist wording, all the while expressing a critical stance towards the movement, and additionally they focus on a critique of the dealings with Aum prior to and after the subway attack in 1995.

Highlights

According to several polls, one of the events of the Heisei era (Heisei jidai 平成時代)—which spanned from January 8, 1989 to April 30, 2019—with the biggest societal impact appears to be the sarin gas attack on the Tōkyō subway on March 20, 1995, carried out by members of the new religious movement1 Aum Shinrikyō (Ōmu Shinrikyō オウム真理教) (Keishichō 2016; J-town.net 2018; Nifty News 2019)
Important points in the history of the group itself roughly coincide with the Heisei timeframe, with Aum being legally acknowledged as a religious corporation in August of the first year of Heisei (1989) and—after numerous conflicts, incidents, trials, and sentences—its founder Asahara Shōkō being executed in July 2018, less than a year before the era came to a close
As outlined in the introductory remarks, scholars were largely critical of Aum coverage in the media (Isomae 2014: 122)

Summary

Introduction

One of the events of the Heisei era (Heisei jidai 平成時代)—which spanned from January 8, 1989 to April 30, 2019—with the biggest societal impact appears to be the sarin gas attack on the Tōkyō subway on March 20, 1995, carried out by members of the new religious movement Aum Shinrikyō (Ōmu Shinrikyō オウム真理教) (Keishichō 2016; J-town.net 2018; Nifty News 2019). Asahara decided to pursue his political ambitions by founding a party (Aum Shinritō オウム真理党) and running for the 1990 general election. Their peculiar campaigning style succeeded in garnering media attention, albeit ridicule, since it. Important points in the history of the group itself roughly coincide with the Heisei timeframe, with Aum being legally acknowledged as a religious corporation in August of the first year of Heisei (1989) and—after numerous conflicts, incidents, trials, and sentences—its founder Asahara Shōkō being executed in July 2018, less than a year before the era came to a close. It can be said that the two are closely temporally intertwined and the case of Aum kept being brought back to the surface of the minds of Japanese people repeatedly during the whole era, making a deep impression as the above-mentioned poll results suggest

Aum and the Media

Letters to the Editor

The Definition of Aum

Topics of Discussion

Findings

Conclusion