On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, we will hold the "Fundamental Research Liberal Arts Lecture Series no. 11: Viewing Modern Society Through the Aum Shinrikyo Incident—Like the Return of the 'Repressed'."

The subway sarin gas attack caused by the Aum Shinrikyo cult exactly 30 years ago was the world's first instance of indiscriminate terrorism carried out by a religious group in the middle of a city in a "developed nation." At the time, people around the world were shocked that such a thing could happen, but looking back at the short history since then, so-called fundamentalists have repeatedly carried out terrorist attacks in major cities in the United States and Europe, starting with the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The terrorism by Aum Shinrikyo was like a precursor to the political and religious phenomena of the 21st century.

Why did a cult whose main members were intellectual elites, such as students and graduates of prestigious universities, resort to such terrorism? Examining Aum's apocalyptic worldview and the nature of the (human) relationships they sought reveals something strange. It not only clarifies the social and cultural situation in Japan on the eve of the mass adoption of the internet, but also reveals the true nature of what is happening on the international stage right now (for example, the Trump phenomenon). What is happening in modern society can be interpreted as an (unintentional) return of "Aum-like elements"—diluted in terms of the content of the fantasy, but significantly expanded in terms of social scale.

【Date and Time】

Wednesday, June 4, 2025, 18:10–19:40

【Venue】

Hiyoshi Campus, Raiosha 1st Floor, Symposium Space

【Capacity】

Approx. 100 people

【Cost】

Free

【Pre-registration】

Not required

【Target Audience】

Researchers, faculty/staff, and interested undergraduate and graduate students

【Organizer】

Keio Research Center for the Liberal Arts, Keio University

Please see here for event details.