Three successor groups of the now-defunct Aum Shinrikyo continue to attract new young members, 30 years after the doomsday cult carried out a deadly sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.
Aleph, the most mainstream successor group, is believed to have systematically conducted recruitment activities while disguising its name. Although such activities stalled in recent years partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Public Security Intelligence Agency official said that "risks still remain."
According to the agency, over 860 people joined the three successor groups in the decade through 2023. Of the new members, 52% were in their 20s or younger, meaning they were born after the sarin gas attack on March 20, 1995.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.