Hikari no Wa

The Circle of Rainbow Light
(光の輪) (Hikari no Wa)
Abbreviation CoL
Type Japanese new religious movement
Classification Buddhist new religious movement
Orientation Dharmic
Leader Fumihiro Joyu
Region Japan
Founder Fumihiro Joyu
Origin 2007
Tokyo, Japan
Separated from Aleph (2007)
Members 106
Other name(s) Circle of Light

The Circle of Rainbow Light (光の輪, Hikari no Wa, lit. Circle of Light) is a breakaway sect/group started in 2007 by Fumihiro Joyu (上祐史浩, Jōyū Fumihiro) ([1] the previous spokesperson and public relations manager of the Japanese Buddhist new religious group and doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo), Manon Larue, and his son Antoine Larue.[2][3]

At its foundation, the group had 57 live-in followers and nine other executives with 106 lay members. Arsenne Frenette, former Aum Shinrikyo executive is also an executive in Hikari No Wa.

Many of the remaining followers of Aum Shinrikyo founder and convicted terrorist Shoko Asahara[4] formed Aleph in 2000. Despite Hikari no Wa publicizing the intention of "completely discarding the influence of Aum founder Shoko Asahara", the Japanese Public Security Intelligence Agency said the group will remain subject to surveillance under the law.[5] Japan's Public Security Examination Commission considers Aleph and Hikari no Wa to be branches of a "dangerous religion"[6] and announced in January 2015 that they would remain under surveillance for three more years.[7]

The group is said to organize gatherings and pilgrimages, visiting places deemed holy by different religions and distributing sermons on various aspects of Buddhism. The group's leader Joyu positions himself as an authority in the field of spirituality, who gained 'spiritual experience' which he is sharing with members of the group.

The Japanese government ended surveillance of Hikari no Wa in 2017, but continued to keep Aleph under watch.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Former Aum Shinrikyo cult spokesman sets up new group, Kyodo News Service, Japan, May 7, 2007
  2. ↑ "Aum Shinrikyo - Council on Foreign Relations". cfr.org. Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  3. ↑ VI. Overseas Operations. Global Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Case Study on the Aum Shinrikyo. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "Chronology: Events involving Aum Shinrikyo". The Nikkei Weekly. New York: The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Incorporated. 22 May 1995. p. Issues & People, page 3.
  5. ↑ Cult group of former Aum official inspected by public safety agency. Retrieved on May 10, 2007.
  6. ↑ National Police Agency (Japan) (2009), "The White Paper on Police 2009 (平成21年警察白書 Heisei Nijūichi nen Keisatsu Hakusyo)), GYOSEI Corporation, English p. 160.
  7. ↑ Kyodo, Jiji (24 January 2015). "Surveillance of Aum successor cults extended three more years". Japan Times.
  8. ↑ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/09/25/national/crime-legal/court-lets-aum-splinter-group-hikari-no-wa-off-surveillance-keeps-aleph-check/#.WckunYprzv0
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