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Japanese Happy Science Cult has an Idol Group

Aizo

Aizo

Banned
The idol group's name is "anjewel," which is... just incorrect English.
Code: 
[IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DBJ1dMOVwAAakrR.jpg[/IMG]
For the uninitiated, Happy Science/Kōfuku no Kagaku (幸福の科学) is a Japanese religious cult. I believe we have a quote on them from one of our very own.
Happy Science, [is] a crazy Japanese cult formed and run by Ookawa Ryuhou, some dude who, fresh out of business school in the 80s, realized that a quick way to make cash would be to start a religion by claiming to be the reincarnation of Buddha. He now has followers in several countries, his own political party in Japan, and has authored hundreds of book-length tracts elaborating on the teachings of Happy Science and the insanely convoluted alternate history of the universe central to the religion. He's basically the Japanese L. Ron Hubbard.

Basically, according to Happy Science, the universe is overseen by the god El Cantare, who experimented with life on different planets for billions of years before settling for the humans on Earth. The teachings of Happy Science are conveniently universal among most major world religions, and so it teaches that all major religious figures in history were simply emissaries spreading El Cantare's enlightenment. The religion has a ridiculously complex afterlife and reincarnation system whereby people are judged on how much of their potential they achieved in life, and so prosperity, innovation, and a mishmash of pro-democratic/anti-communist ideology are emphasized alongside the mysticism. The various purported incarnations of Buddha's soul receive the utmost reverence because well, that's how Ookawa gussies up his divine credentials and rakes in the yenz.
Click to expand...
One thing to add is that Ookawa has the consciousness of El Cantare, so he is essentially their Jesus. Oh, one more thing to add is that they have anime propaganda to spread their religion, and it's absolutely far more batshit insane than anything you could ever imagine.
--
Back to the idol group. I did a little digging through the official twitter.
Here they are promoting a grand ol' time with the cult leader... and here they are promoting... Trump?
Code: 
[IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DCCqd_RUQAAztyk.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_C8BrGVwAAOxHC.jpg[/IMG]
As one could expect, they are quite bad. Listen, if you're into that kinda thing.
サクライロ、転生 (literally Cherry Blossom Colored Reincarnation)

An even weirder video is one in which you embark on a first person view "secret date" with one of the members of the group, where she invites you to eat lunch on the roof with her. She even feeds you a sandwich. Then, she puts her hand on yours... and BAM! It was all a trap so that she could invite you to Tokyo Dome to see the cult leader. Gotcha.
--
Send me to Hell to battle Hitler, Friedrich Nietzsche, and an elephant monster, if this is old news.
 
T

Tuck

Member
I pass a happy science store on my way to school everyday in Toronto. They give away free happy science books. Never knew it was Japanese.
 
Aizo

Aizo

Banned
I translated this thing from the first person date video and did really crappy editing in MS Paint for you all.
Code: 
[img]http://i.imgur.com/TPqNenE.png[/img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/ogKr7HL.png[/img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/EvvhjA0.png[/img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/OdgRH5j.png[/img][img]http://i.imgur.com/GiO1chs.png[/img]
 
I

Incandenza

Banned
These guys?

worshippers.png
 
R

rtcn63

Member
To be fair, having your own idol group in Japan is like having your own Sonic character persona in the West.
 
S

StrangeRoboMemory

Member
Vice writer went to an introductory meeting at their French branch a few years ago:

https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/jmvan4/my-afternoon-with-a-failed-japanese-cult

I arrived late and signed a fake name on an attendance form that a tiny Japanese woman had given me. Standing in front of me were a group of six people watching one of Okawa's lectures, The Faith Quest in Spatial Ages—The Hidden Truth About Aliens and the Universe, on an old computer screen with an alarmingly engrossed look in their eyes.

In the video, Okawa was talking us through the various breeds of aliens that we might expect to meet. Besides our introduction to your standard set of extraterrestrials—a load of reptilians and a plethora of very similar aliens that all looked suspiciously like the guys you see smoking bongs on those glow-in-the-dark posters—we also learned that, because there are Wookiees in Star Wars and Na'vi in Avatar, George Lucas and James Cameron have both definitely come into contact with creatures from outer space.
Click to expand...
 
J

jstripes

Banned
Tuck said:
I pass a happy science store on my way to school everyday in Toronto. They give away free happy science books. Never knew it was Japanese.
Click to expand...

I saw a couple of posters for Happy Science in the subway. I thought it was kind of odd that they're trying to make a move into Toronto.
 
Aizo

Aizo

Banned
MikeHattsu said:
Ypu going to that Happy Science movie screening in London next month?
Click to expand...
Please don't encourage people to give them money haha. I considered going to screenings of the movies in Japan and then realized it wasn't funny if I paid them.
Theonik said:
Watch the Happy Science movies and you will understand.


I gave my flyer to BGBW so I am but a lost lamb as it were.
Click to expand...
"Understand"
 
B

BlazingDarkness

Member
I've been to the Happy Science HQ in London.

Their teachings are called 'reigen', or spirit messages, which are said to be divined by the 'Master' Okawa.

Okawa can also receive messages from people who aren't deceased (through a living person's spirit guides) and has written a book professing to detail message from Putin, and also Trump.

They are big supporters of Trump. I asked why this was and they said because 'he can get things done and bring peace to the world.' I asked why they support Trump over Obama, and they said Obama was 'too peaceful'.

I actually have the book they released, of Trump's spiritual messages. (To clarify, it is the book in the OP) It's amazingly hilarious (the book is basically a transcript of Okawa's dialogue claiming to be Trump's spirit guides (and it speaks like him)). I can post some excerpts if anyone is up for a laugh.
 
A

Alexlf

Member
BlazingDarkness said:
I've been to the Happy Science HQ in London.

Their teachings are called 'reigen', or spirit messages, which are said to be divined by the 'Master' Okawa.

Okawa can also receive messages from people who aren't deceased (through a living person's spirit guides) and has written a book professing to detail message from Putin, and also Trump.

They are big supporters of Trump. I asked why this was and they said because 'he can get things done and bring peace to the world.' I asked why they support Trump over Obama, and they said Obama was 'too peaceful'.

I actually have the book they released, of Trump's spiritual messages. It's amazingly hilarious (the book is basically a transcript of Okawa's dialogue claiming to be Trump's spirit guides (and it speaks like him)). I can post some excerpts if anyone is up for a laugh.
Click to expand...

Please do. That sounds incredible.
 
K

KidGalactus

Member
BlazingDarkness said:
I've been to the Happy Science HQ in London.

Their teachings are called 'reigen', or spirit messages, which are said to be divined by the 'Master' Okawa.

Okawa can also receive messages from people who aren't deceased (through a living person's spirit guides) and has written a book professing to detail message from Putin, and also Trump.

They are big supporters of Trump. I asked why this was and they said because 'he can get things done and bring peace to the world.' I asked why they support Trump over Obama, and they said Obama was 'too peaceful'.

I actually have the book they released, of Trump's spiritual messages. It's amazingly hilarious (the book is basically a transcript of Okawa's dialogue claiming to be Trump's spirit guides (and it speaks like him)). I can post some excerpts if anyone is up for a laugh.
Click to expand...

Oh man. Please,yes.
 
Theonik

Theonik

Member
Aizo said:
Please don't encourage people to give them money haha. I considered going to screenings of the movies in Japan and then realized it wasn't funny if I paid them.

"Understand"
Click to expand...
That was part of the banta. We had AnimeGAF operatives infiltrate their screenings before which were wondering about how much the people in there were serious how much they were weebs and how much they were shitposters. Research is needed.
 
H

Hitlersaurus Christ

Banned
BlazingDarkness said:
I've been to the Happy Science HQ in London.

Their teachings are called 'reigen', or spirit messages, which are said to be divined by the 'Master' Okawa.

Okawa can also receive messages from people who aren't deceased (through a living person's spirit guides) and has written a book professing to detail message from Putin, and also Trump.

They are big supporters of Trump. I asked why this was and they said because 'he can get things done and bring peace to the world.' I asked why they support Trump over Obama, and they said Obama was 'too peaceful'.

I actually have the book they released, of Trump's spiritual messages. (To clarify, it is the book in the OP) It's amazingly hilarious (the book is basically a transcript of Okawa's dialogue claiming to be Trump's spirit guides (and it speaks like him)). I can post some excerpts if anyone is up for a laugh.
Click to expand...

Oh please, PLEASE do. This sounds amazing.
 
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