BOOK REVIEWS
Underground: The Cult of Aum Shinrikyo
Author Murakami Haruki asked members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult what made them devote themselves to the group. Here are their answers.
religion
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BOOK REVIEWS
CULTURE
Japan’s Disappearing Home Buddhist Altars
They're still a staple in movies and anime. But in reality, 60% of Japanese homes lack an ancestral altar. What's driving the…
CULTURE
Jigokudani: A Look at Japan’s Volcanic “Hell Valleys”
A look at how Japan's two most prominent religions' versions of hell shaped the story of its iconic jigokudani, or "hell valleys."
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Cashless Donations at Buddhist Temples on the Rise
More and more Buddhist templates are supplementing donation boxes with cashless donation systems - a trend that has some in Japan's Buddhist…
SOCIETY
Happy Science: Inside Japan’s Far-Right Religious Movement
In the mid-1980s, a Japanese salaryman declared himself the reincarnation of Buddha and Hermes. Now his religious organization claims millions of adherents.
CULTURE
Aokigahara, Japan’s “Suicide Forest”: Drowning in a Sea of Trees
Why has Aokigahara, a forest full of legend and history, gained notoriety as a haven of death?
TECHNOLOGY
A Buddhist Temple in Kyoto Gets Its First Android Saint
If you were planning to join the Buddhist priesthood because a robot took your job...welp, I've got some bad news for you.
CULTURE
Ticket for Monk Driving in Robes is Tossed, But Legal Issues Linger
A monk who sparked an online rebellion gets his fine thrown out - but the issue of whether monks are legally allowed…