Full Description
At the time Aum Shinrikyõ emerged, most Japanese assumed that they lived in one of the most well-ordered and safest societies, a model that had much to offer the chaotic Western world. This assumption was shaken on 20 March 1995 when the deadly nerve gas sarin was released on the Tokyo subway system. Since that incident, the 'Aum affair' has had widespread repercussions and shaken the Japanese psyche in a serious way. This volume provides a window onto contemporary Japanese society by considering the various reactions and responses to this crisis precipitated by this deviant religious movement.
Contents
Preface Notes on the Contributors Introduction; R.J.Kisala & M.R.Mullins The Evolution of Aum Shinrikyõ as a Religious Movement; S.Susumu The Reaction of the Police and Security Authorities to Aum Shinrikyõ; C.W.Hughes The Legal and Political Fallout of the 'Aum Affair'; M.R.Mullins Opposition to Aum and the Rose of the 'Anti-Cult' Movement in Japan; W.Manabu Religious Responses to the 'Aum Affair'; R.J.Kisala Aum and the Media: Lost in the Cosmos and the Need to Know; R.A.Gardner Back to Invented Tradition: A Nativist Response to a National Crisis; M.Yukio When Prophecy Fails: The Response of Aum Members to the Crisis; M.Michiko General Bibliography Index
