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VIETNAM ACADEMYOF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATEACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

NGUYEN NGOC PHUONG TRANG

THE PROCESS OF FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT, AND
SOCIAL IMPACTS OF THE NEW RELIGION MOVEMENTS IN
JAPAN IN THE PERIOD AFTER WORLD WAR II TO 2018

Major: World History
Code: 92 29 011

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS IN HISTORY

Hanoi - 2020


The thesis is completed
at:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
...........................…

Science instructor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reviewer 1: Prof.Dr. Hoang Khac Nam

Reviewer 2: Prof.Dr. Tran Thi Vinh

Reviewer3: Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Hoang Giap
The thesis will be defended in front of the Academy’s Thesis
Assessment Council at. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
at

hour

minute, date

month year 20 ...

The thesis can be found at:
- National Library of Vietnam
- Library of Graduate Academy of Social Sciences


PREFACE
1. Urgency of the project
“New religion” is a term that appeared from the second half of
the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century in many
countries around the world. Around this term, the managers and
researchers of each country have a different approach. In Japan,
although there are many different views on what a “new religion” is, the
strong development of these phenomena after World War II in this
country is undeniable. Many new religions formed before the War took
advantage of to promote their activities beside new religions that were
appearing “like mushrooms after the rain”. Japanese and international
researchers have started using the term “new religious movements”
when referring to this phenomenon in the sense that the new religious
practice has become a trend that attracts many people to join in, has a
clear impact on the spiritual life of many people in society. The massive
emergence of new religious organizations, the participation of a number
of new religious organizations in political and economic life, and even
some religious organizations that advocate and carry out violent

terrorism... created a very complicated social problem, seriously
threatening security in Japan in the late twentieth century. The Japanese
Government has made great efforts and achieved remarkable results in
finding timely solutions in the field of religious management, ensuring
the principle of religious freedom while maintaining religious activities
within the framework of the law. Although the development of new
religions in Japan has become stable, it is very necessary to theoretically
and practically study the process of its formation and development, and
evaluate its social impact from the perspective of historical research to
comprehend comprehensively and have an appropriate attitude to deal
with it. In Vietnam, the development of the market economy,
urbanization and population movement from rural to urban areas, etc.
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have led to many great changes in all aspects of social life, including the
religious life. The study of the formation and development as well as
the social impact of the Japanese new religion will certainly give us the
theoretical and practical basis to recognize and evaluate the
phenomenon of new religions in a more complete way. Therefore, I
have chosen: “The process of formation and development, and social
impacts of the New Religious Movements in Japan after World War II
to 2018” as the title of my doctoral thesis in World History.
2. The thesis’s research objectives andtasks:
2.1. Research objectives
The thesis’s research objective is to clarify the cause of
formation, movement and development of the new religious movements
in Japan after World War II, and its characteristics, as well as to
evaluate the its impact on Japanese society.
2.2. Research tasks

To achieve the above objectives, the thesis must solve the
following tasks: Firstly, to clarify theoretical and practical problems as
a basis for studying the new religious movements in Japan after World
War II up to now. Secondly, to analyze the formation and development
of the new religious movements in Japan through the historical periods
from World War II to 2018. Thirdly, to evaluate the role and social
impact of the new religious movements after World War II to 2018.
3. Research objects and scope of the thesis
3.1. Research objects of the thesis
The thesis studies the new religious movements in Japan after
World War II to 2018, focusing on typical new religious organizations
and social impacts of this movement.
3.2. Research scope of the thesis
- In terms of space: the thesis analyzes in-depth the new
religious movements in Japan.
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- In terms of time: the thesis focuses on the formation and
development of the new religious movements afterWWII to 2018.
4. Methodology and research method of the thesis
4.1. Methodology of the thesis
Based on the theoretical basis of Marxism-Leninism on religion,
and the views of the Communist Party of Vietnam on religious work.
4.2 Research method of the thesis
The thesis uses the following research methods:
+ Historical method
+ Logical method
+ Comparative method
+ Case study method (Case study)

+ Expert method and field survey method
5. New scientific contributions of the thesis
- Analyze and present systematically the process of formation and
development of the new religious movements in Japan after World War
II to 2018 as well as draw out the features of this movement.
- Evaluate the impact of the new religious movements on Japanese
society in both positive and negative aspects.
- The thesis is added to the source of documents serving the
research and teaching of world history, Japanese studies, and religious
studies in Vietnam.
6. Theoretical and practical significance of the thesis
6.1. Theoretical significance
The thesis contributes to the clarification of some theoretical
issues in Japanese religious studies in general and Japanese new
religion studies in particular.
6.2. Practical significance
The thesis provides references on new religions in Japan today
for research and teaching in religious history, and Japanese studies. The
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thesis suggests an approach in the study of new religious phenomena in
Vietnam.
7. Structure of the thesis
In addition to the introduction, conclusion, references and
appendices, the thesis is divided into four chapters:
Chapter 1: Overview of research situation
Chapter 2: Theoretical and practical basis for studying the new
religious movements in Japan after World War II to 2018
Chapter 3: The process of formation and development of the new

religious movements in Japan after World War II to 2018
Chapter 4: Features and social impacts of the new religious
movements in Japan.
CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH SITUATION
1.1. Research works on new religions in Japan
1.1.1. Research works on traditional religions
Among the research works on traditional Japanese religion
published domestically in Vietnamese, some works can be mentioned
such as History of Japanese Buddhism (Religion Publishing House,
Hanoi, 2002) by Giac Dung, The influence of Buddhism on the spiritual
life in Japanese society (National Political Publishing House, Hanoi,
2011) by Nguyen Thi Thuy Anh. Research on Shintoism - an inherent
traditional Japanese religion is also an area with a lot of remarkable
domestic research works. Regarding to foreign author’s document, the
article can be mentioned is Japanese religion, extracted and translated
from the book “Japanese religion”, a research work of the Bureau of
Citizens and Cultural Affairs (Journal of Religious Studies, No. 1/1999).
1.1.2. Research works on new religions
With reference to research works with in-depth analysis of a
typical new religious organization in Japan, we can mention the article
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Issues of entering politics of Soka Gakkai sect (Journal of Northeast
Asian Studies, No. 7/2013) by Duong Kim Oanh. Some articles about
this Aum Shinrikyo sect were translated into Vietnam, such as the
article Religion to the court, the end of Aum Shinrikyo sect by
DWBrakett (Journal of Religious Studies, No. 5/2001), the article
Social psychology about “spiritual control by sect” by Nishida Kimiaki

in “Application of psychology in Japan” (Co-editor: Vu Dung - Phan
Thi Mai Huong - Ito Tetsuji - Yamamoto Toshiya, Polytechnic
Dictionary Publishing House, Hanoi, 2005).
Regarding to English documents, it’s possible to mention the book
New Religions, Contemporary Paper in Japanese Religion-2, Research
Institute of Japanese Traditional and Culture, Kokugakuin University,
Japan, 1991) edited by Inoue Nobutaka. In particular, the article Recent
Trends in the Study of Japanese New Religions by Inoue Nobutaka has
elaborated and analyzed quite in detail and definitions of what is meant
by “new religions”. With reference to Japanese works, it’s possible to
mention the book Read-understand new religions (1992) by Inoue
Nobutaka.
1.2. Research works on the impact of new religions in Japan
1.2.1. Research works assessing the impact of new religions on
Japanese socio-political life
First of all, it’s the article The impact of religion on Japanese
political life in the 90s of the twentieth century by Nguyen Thi Thuy
Anh (Journal of Japanese and Northeast Asian Studies, No. 3/2001),
Modern Japanese Religions: Movements of Religious Freedom by Tran
Van Trinh (Journal of Buddhist Studies, No. 1/2007). With direct
reference to the impact of new religions on socio-political life, it’s the
bookJapanese religious life today (Social Sciences Publishing House,
Hanoi, 2005), edited by Pham Hong Thai, the book has given a number
of major problems that appear in the Japanese religious life since 1945
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to present, including the outbreak of new religions, the social impact of
this movement, and which religious policies given by the Japanese
Government to suit the reality. The number of works translated into

Vietnamese is quite small, only the article by Hirochika Nakamaki with
the title Japanese people and religion: Approach from a consumer
perspective (Journal of Religious Studies, No. 4/2001), mentioned the
fact that the Japanese consider religion as apractical matter, related to
reality, and show the self-interested nature of the Japanese. Regarding
to English research works studying the influence of Japanese new
religions on socio-political life in recent decades, can mention the book
Japanese New Religions in Global Perspective (Curzon Press, UK,
2000) edited by Peter B. Clarke.
1.2.2. Research works assessing the impact of new religions on
Japanese government policies
The article by Pham Hong Thai with the title Learn about the
Japanese State's Religious policies in the book “State and church”
(Editor: Do Quang Hung, Religion Publishing House, Hanoi, 2003).
The next one is the Master’s thesis in Asian studies by Duong Kim
Oanh, with the title Religious policies of Japan in the period of 1945 to
1951 (defended at the Master’s Thesis Assessment Council of Asian
Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and
Humanities, Hanoi National University, 2013). Regarding to foreign
authors, there is a book by Sakurai Yoshihide, Inquiries about the “Cult”
- the danger named “Freedom of religion”(「カルト」を問い直す信教の自由というリスク), Central Publication Publishing House,
Japan, 2006).
1.3. Results achieved and issues to be studied
Through researching domestic and foreign studies on new
religions in Japanafter World War II, some remarks can be made as
follows:

6

1.3.1. Results achieved
In general, research works on Japanese religions in general and
new religions in particular, have made some remarks and assessments
that are quite useful for those who start to deeply learn about this field.
In particular, there have been many research works on a number of
prominent new religious organizations, helping readers get an initial
view of the new religions - a prominent movement in Japanese religious
life after World War II. With many different approaches and
perspectives, this is a vast field with many useful works, in-depth
understanding, analysis, and meticulous assessment of new religions in
Japan after World War II, as well as the effects on social life, and the
development steps of these organizations.
1.3.2. Issues that have not been clarified
- There is no systematic research providing a comprehensive and
universalview of the process of formation and development,
characteristics and social impacts of this movement in Japan.
- In terms of documents, documents in Vietnamese and translated
into Vietnamese are quite few and general, they only introduce the
history of Japanese religion and the features of each period, without
much mention about new religions.
- There are in-depth studies on the Aum Shinrikyo Sect - a new
sect of negative nature, but these have not helped readers understand the
new religious movements in Japan after World War II, but only
illustrated a typical sect.
- There are some articles about specific new religious
organizations, but they are still sporadic, not systematic.
- Although Japanese documents are very diverse, they mainly
analyze new religious in terms of psychology or sociology.
1.3.3. Issues to be studied by the thesis
- Firstly, it’s necessary to clarify the context forming the new

religious movements after World War II.
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- Secondly, analyzing the development process of the new
religious movements in Japanafter World War II to 2018 by each
specific historical period. From the practical development of these
periods, draw out the common characteristics of the new religious
movements.
- Thirdly, analyzing the movement’s impact on Japanese social
lifein both the positive and the negative sides.
- Fourthly, relating to the practice of religious life in Vietnam in
the context of “Doi moi”.
CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL BASIS FOR STUDYING
THE NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS IN JAPAN AFTER
WORLD WAR II TO 2018
2.1. Theoretical basis
2.1.1. Definition of religion
There are many definitions of religion from theological,
philosophical and sociological, biological and psychological
perspectives and in fact, it is considered a pervasive cultural
phenomenon. According to the author, the most complete definition of
religion is that of Friedrich Engels: “All religion, however, is nothing
but the fantastic reflection in men's minds of those external forces which
control their daily life, a reflection in which the terrestrial forces
assume the form of supernatural forces”.
2.1.2. Definition of new religion and new religious movement
Like the definition of religion, the definition of new religion is
quite diverse. Definition of the Japanese religious researcher Nishiyama

Shigeru in his book “Types and characteristics of new religions”can be
seen asthe most complete definition of new religion, which is“The
creation of new religious forms, relatively different from existing
religious forms, compensates and resolves human conflicts with society
due to rapid social upheaval. Since the nineteenth century, in many
8


places over the world, there has been an increase in the institutional
formation of this type of religion with the subject of the masses of the
people.” According to the thesis’s author, new religions in Japan are
“Religions formedin the social context with many complicated changes,
different from traditional religions, meeting the spiritual needs of
people in the new context. New religions have a positive side of
providing spiritual support for people, leading them to integrate into
the present life, but also have a negative side when the leader abuses
the beliefs of believers to gain advantage and make a great
negativeimpact on the social security order. Japanese new
religionsappeared at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, but its boom
has been significantly since World War II”.
About the definition of new religious movement: On the basis that
movement is an prevailing trend, which is favored and pursued by many
people, taking place in the field of cultural, ideological, religious life ...,
the thesis’s author said that the “new religious movement”is a new
religious trend pursued by a large number of people, creating a certain
impact in the cultural and social life.
2.2. Practical basis
2.2.1. International context
2.2.1.1. New religious movement in America
In the 60s and 70s of the twentieth century, new religion was

considered a challenge to American cultural and moral foundation. The
word “Cult” is used with the meaning of suspicion and prejudicewhen it
comes to new religion, it means“fanaticism”. The public’s skepticism
and apprehension towards the new religion in America is
understandable, especially when public opinion has been shaken by the
mass suicides, abuse of believers, and abuse of children of these sects.
Recently, although such incidents did not happen again, public
apprehension and precaution about new religions in America still exist.
9


2.2.1.2. New religious movement in Europe
In Europe, the relationship between new religions and European
social community is quite challenging and conflicting because of the
fact that new religions contradict and even remove cultural values and
traditional religions which have become the spiritual and ethical
foundation of Western society. There are even new anti-religious
organizations in most European countries to expose and stop the
activities of new religions.
2.2.2. Domestic context
On the basis of analyzing domestic context, the thesis has pointed
out three main factors affecting the formation and development of the
new religious movement after World War II in Japan, they are:
The first is the change in political life and religious policy
In 1945, World War II came to an end. The Japanese fascists were
pushed back across the battlefields. After the Nazis surrendered in
Europe in May 1945, the Soviet Union, the US, and Great Britain
gathered in Potsdam (Germany) to issue Potsdam Declaration (July
1945) to demand Japan to surrender unconditionally. On November 3,
1946, a new Japanese Constitution was announced, replacing the Meiji

Constitution (1889). This is the premise for the Religious Juridical
Persons Law to be issued in 1951, creating favorable conditions for new
religions to operate and develop after the war.
The second is the impact of the rapid development on socioeconomic life
Japan was under the control of the Allied forces long after the war
ended, which was a favorable condition for the Japanese economy.
These reforms act as preparations for future economic growth. However,
along with economic development, a number of social problems in
Japan arose, as one of thereasons leading to the birth of new religious
movement in Japan after World War II.
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The third is the rapid development of urbanization
Urbanization in Japan took place strongly, due to the development
of industries. Cities quickly sprung up, young people in rural areas are
mostly looking to urban areas, especially big cities to find jobs with
higher income when they reach working age. Cities are the home to a
large number of people who are slowly moving away from their mental
and spiritual connection with the traditional religion of their homeland,
they encounter mental emptiness and loneliness. This is also a factor
affecting the rapid development of the new religious movement,
because it has provided spiritual support for people who are lonely in a
modern society.
SUB-CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 2
Through chapter two, we see that the new religious movement in
Japan arose after World War II was not a coincidence but had a prior
background. New religion was born when many changes appeared in
the society, creating a need to have a spiritual support to compensate for
people’s psychological crisis and inadequacy. This is evidenced through

the practice of religious life in the world. In Japan, after the end of
World War II, the change of religious policy towards liberalization, the
rapid economic development and urbanization resulted in massive
population concentrationin the urban areas are favorable conditions for
new religions to be born and spread rapidly, forming a powerful trend in
the society.
CHAPTER 3
THE PROCESS OF FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF
THE NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS IN JAPAN AFTER
WORLD WAR II TO 2018
The new religious movement in Japan after the war to 2018 has
changed through the periods with different characteristics stemming
from the specific context of Japanese society. The first period, from
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World War II to 1970, is considered to be the period when new
religions take advantage of the change of the Religious Juridical
Persons Law and the rapid transformation of the economy as well as the
traditional family structure.New religious organizations tried to attract
believers and made a great leap compared to the previous period. The
second period, from the 1971 to 1995, was affected by the oil crisis of
the early 1970s around the world. When Japan's economy was
developing like a storm, it suddenly slowed down, making the material
and spiritual lives of the people wobble, urging people to find
mysterious experiences to forget the reality. The third period, from
1996 to 2018, was the period when religious organizations made efforts
to maintain the stability in the size and believers after the negative
impact of the Aum Shinrikyo sect’s persecution. Besides, it was also the
period when new religions tried to promote and take advantage of the

advantages of technology, especially the Internet.
3.1. The period from after World War II to 1970
3.1.1. Overview of the process of formation and development of
the new religious movement from World War II to 1970
The first period of the new religious movement in Japan after
World War II was from 1946 to 1970, which is likened to “the
blossoming moment of the gods”. The investigation of the Jiji news
agency 1 announced in 1949 as “Mass religious investigation”, with
4600 votes issued on all professions, combined with previous
investigations of 1946, 1947, and 1948 on the topic of democratization,
have shown the number of people who believe in religion has increased
gradually over the years, specifically accounting for 56.4% of the total
number of respondents in 1946, by 1949 accounting for 70.1%. Based
on these data,it can be seen that the number of people who believe in
1

時事通信社 - Jiji Tsushinsha- roughly translated as Jiji News Agency

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religion has increased significantly. In new religious organizations, such
as the Tenrikyo (Religion of Divine Wisdom), it had 2,032,400
believers in 1956 (according to Japanese Religions Yearbook annual
release), by 1963, Tenrikyo had 2,284,656 believers. A small new
Shinto organization like Tenchikyo (Heaven and Earth Bridge) in 1956
had only 1,623 believers, but by 1963 it had grown to 7,410 believers.
The development and blossoming of new religions during this period
were undeniable, forming a remarkable social trend. In this period, the
factors affecting the formation of the new religious movement after the

War, all play an equally important role, complement each other and are
direct factors.
3.1.2. The process of formation and development of a number of
prominent new religious organizations in the periodafter World War
II to 1970
3.1.2.1. Soka Gakkai (創価学会)
Soka Gakkai ( 創 価 学 会 ) is the most popular religious
organization in Japan, worthy of mention when studying the new
religious movement in the period after the World War II to 1970. In
1961, the number of believers of this organization was 130,000
households2; by 1968, the size of this religious organization had reached
more than 800,000 households. Although it appeared before the war, the
strong development of Soka Gakkai in this period is a clear testament to
the “blossoming” of religious organizations, and the creativity in
missionary methods as well as mode of operation is also a
featureshowing that religious organizations are free to develop in all
aspects after the war.3
2

The number of believers in Soka Gakkai is calculated by household
In Nhat Lien Tong, there are two basic methods of expounding this truth. The
first, termed Shoju, is to share this view of life without directly challenging the
other person’s existing beliefs and the other is called Shakubuku, which means
it doesn’t need to see how the other’s attitude is but just convey its thoughts
3

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3.1.2.2. Church of Perfect Liberty (PLKyodan)

P.L Kyodan is also a new religious organization that needs to be
analyzed to clarify the doctrinal diversity of the new religious
movement. If Soka Gakkai is a new religion whose ideological
foundation is Buddhism, then the Church of Perfect Liberty
(abbreviated as PLKyodan, even more succinctly just P.L, in Japanese it
is パーフェクトリバティー教団) Perfect freedom), was created on
the basis of the fusion of many traditional Japanese religions and beliefs.
In addition, this is also one of the new religious organizations with a
large number of believers in Japan. According to the Annual Religion
Yearbook, in 1956, PLKyodan had only 605,213 believers, by 1963,
this number was 1,164,814 in Japan. Along with Soka Gakkai, this is
also a typical organization in this period that needs to be studied.
3.2. The period from 1971 to 1995
3.2.1. Overview of the development process of the new religious
movement from 1971 to 1995
This is the period when the phrase “new religion” (新新宗教 shin shin shukyo) emerged. Around the late 1970s and early 1980s,
there was an influx of scholars and journalists who argued that it was
important to distinguish these rapidly growing new religions from
slowly growingreligions by calling them as“new religions”. When
analyzing this new phenomenon, scholars often take Shinnyo-en (真如
苑 - Chan Nhu Uyen), a new Buddhist organization according to the
Chan Ngon Sect, as an example. In 1965, the official number
ofbelievers of this organization was nearly 125,000. However, in 1974
directly to persuade the others. Soka Gakkai chose the Shakubuku method.
They took the position of presentism and thought that the result of that belief
would manifest in the present world as well as the reason to gain more
believers.
Source: />
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this number increased to 300,000, and it was 2,600,000 in 1988. It is
argued that there was a third "religious boom" 4 that became quite
popular in the late 1970s. Usually, these religions characterize and
emphasize spirituality and spiritual phenomena. Most of these religions
have shown their ability to attract young members and increase the
number of believers in a short time, but after that, there has been a
slowdown in growth. An important factor affecting the development of
the new religious movement in this period was the currency and oil
crises of the early 1970s, which slowed down Japan’s economy
compared to the previous period, many Japanese companies were
affected, leading to many changes in social life, people could not adapt
to the new context, so it facilitates people to find mysterious spiritual
feelings to relieve mental stress. If the factors influencing the birth of
the new religious movement after World War II are shown clearly in the
previous period, at this stage, the most important factor is the change of
a rapidly growing society which puts a lot of pressure on people.
3.2.2. The process of formation and development of a number of
prominent new religious organizations in the period from 1971 to
1995
3.2.2.1. Aum Shinrikyo Sect (オウム真理教)
Not only in Japan but all over the world, people cannot forget the
horrible crimes that this sect committed at the subway system in Tokyo
in March 1995. Officially founded in 1987, in the most popular time,the
sect only had about 15,000 believers in Japan and 35,000 believers in
Russia, quite little compared to other prominent new religious
organizations. However,the 1995 terrorist event was one of the main
reasons for the reform of religious policy in Japan in 1995, more
“Outbreak of religion” (宗教ブーム), the first is considered to be the late
Tokugawa shogunate-early Meiji period, the second after World War II, and

the third is usually considered in the years 1970-1980, however this is still
controversial.
4

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specifically, the Religious Juridical Persons Law was amended in 1995,
in order to increase the supervision of the authorities in the activities of
religious organizations. And it is the Aum Shinrikyo sect that has
caused the image of the new religion in Japan to be seen in a more
negative direction since 1995.
3.2.2.2. Happy Science (幸福の科学 - Kofuku no Kagaku)
Happy Science is a new religion founded in 1986, so it is also
often referred to as a “new religion”. The author selected this
organization for analysis in this second period for two reasons: the first
is the date of establishment of the organization in this pperiod so it will
be a clear example for the second development period, showing a
continuous temporal continuation of this period, emerging institutions
also gaining their place; and the second is the size and influence of this
organization. The number of believers of Happiness Science is often not
public, nor is there any data on the number of believers of this
organization in the Japanese Religious Yearbook. However, the number
of believers of this organization is quite large. The most recently
updated figures are in the 2010 organization’s publication, in which the
number of believers in a total of 86 countries around the world is
12,000,000. They also formed their own party, the Happiness
Realization Party (幸福実現党, HRP for short).
3.3. In the period from 1996 to2018
3.3.1. Overview of the development process of the new religious

movementfrom 1996 to 2018
This period began in 1996, after the revised Religious Juridical
Persons Law in late 1995 came into effect. Tokyo subway sarin attack
in March 1995 of the Aum Shinrikyo sect - as described in the previous
section - caused disadvantages for new religious organizations, a series
of debates about new religions has emerged, along with the change in
public attitudes towards religion in general and new religions in
16


particular. In addition, the new religion’s participation in politics,
through the case of Soka Gakkai’s Komeito Party and later the
Happiness Realization Party of the Happy Science, made public opinion
more cautious about new religions. Although these parties themselves
win the favor of voting from their believers, many ordinary people think
that these political parties are trying to apply their religious philosophy
all over Japan. The apparent decline can be seen from the annual data of
Religious Yearbook, in 1990 the number of Tenrikyo’s believers was
about 1,800,000, and by 2015, there were only about 1,117,000, which
means,after 25 years, the number of believers has decreased by about a
third. So does Rissho Koseikai, in 1990, it was estimated to have
6,330,000 believers, in 2015, there were only about 2,830,000 believers,
especially after only one year, from 2014 to 2015, it decreased by
260,000 believers. Moreover, the aging age of believers is also a
concern for these organizations. New religions face the need to innovate,
if they want to survive.
3.3.2. The process of formation and development of a number of
prominent new religious organizations in the period from 1996 to
2018
3.3.2.1. Tenrikyo (天理教 -Religion of Divine Wisdom)

Tenrikyo is a monotheistic religion, founded by Nakayama Miki
(中山美伎) (1798-1887). Nakayama Miki is a woman; as the founder,
she is also known as Oyasama (親様) or ancestor of this sect. Tenrikyo
is chosen for analysis in this third period, because although it is a new
religion that appeared before the war, throughout its history, Tenrikyo
has always been one of the new religious organizations with the biggest
number of believers, in the third period – period of maintaining stability
and taking advantage of new technological strengths, Tenrikyo has
promoted the use of technology effectively, especially through online
consulting. According to the 2018 Japan Religious Yearbook, the
17


number of believers of this organization is 1,199,223 in Japan.
Although the number of believers has decreased quite a lot compared to
the number of followers in 1990, about 1,800,000, but if compared with
2015 with about 1,117,000 followers, it also increased, showing the
effectiveness of technology application.
3.3.2.2. Konkokyo (金光教 - Konko religion)
Like Tenrikyo, Konkokyo is a new religion considered to be
derived from Shinto, born in a rural village in Okayama Prefecture in
1859, at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate period. According to the
2018 Japan Religious Yearbook, Konkokyo has 1,495 temples and
429,855 believers in Japan. The reasons for selecting Konkokyo for
analysis in this third stage also stems from the fact that Konkokyo is a
large-scale organization, which appeared long before the end of World
War II, but it has skillfully applyied technology in attracting believers
to their teachings, clearly reflecting the trend of attracting believers of
new religious organizations in this period. The method of sending
petitions to the gods over the Internet without going to the temple also

applies. This is clearly shown in Konkokyo’s Momoyama Shrine in
Tennoji area, Osaka city. In 2004, Momoyama Shrine changed its name
into Negai no miya, and in 2005, the website “Negai no miya”was
created. Since having their own Website, those who cannot afford to go
to the temple will send their petitions through the Internet. From June
2010 to May 2012, i.e. 24 months, total 9147 petitions were submitted.
By maintaining trust and in regular contact with the believers when
accepting their petitions over the Internet, the number of believers going
to the temple to worship directly has also increased.
SUB-CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 3
Through analyzing the periods, we can imagine the development
of this movement after World War II. Soka Gakkai represents the postWar renaissance organizations thanks to the 1951 Religious Juridical
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Persons Law which allows religious organizations to operate freely, and
has a suitable missionary mode, attracting believers through its essential
goals, bringing into play the positives of the new religion. The second
period, from 1971 to 1995, was the period when the “new religions”
appeared, typically the Aum Shinrikyo sect or the Happiness Science.
The next period from 1996 up to now, due to the influence of the Aum
Shinrikyo sect as well as the amendment of the Religious Juridical
Persons Law at the end of 1995, the operation of new religious
organizations became quieter,partly due to the need to win sympathy
from the public. Tenrikyo and Konkokyo, the new religions that
appeared long before the War, still maintained their forces and achieved
some stability, but in the new context, they took a quite appropriate step
which is making use of the Internet, an existing means of
communication.
CHAPTER 4

FEATURES AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF
THE NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT IN JAPAN
4.1. The common features of the new religions after World War
II to 2018
The general features of the new religions in Japan after World
War II to 2018 can be generalized as follows:
4.1.1. Magic - Mysterious
The founders of new religions are considered to have spiritual
powers, on behalf of a certain God or Buddha, they teach the path of
enlightenment to believers, through joining and cultivating, believers
can attain "realms".
4.1.2. Combined
The new religions are also combined, such as the case of the
Shinto-influenced Tenrikyo, which is evident in the rituals, but in
philosophy, it is influenced by Buddhist thought.
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4.1.3 Realistic
New religions go into the daily problems of human concern such as
healing, environment, and getting rid of stress, etc. giving them spiritual
escape, finding joy right in the present life.
4.1.4 Secular
The new religions have a way of promoting new believers and the
scope of activities is very practical. This feature is evident from 1996,
when new religions tried to attract believers with new technologies.
4.1.5. Women play a prominent role
In the new religions, there are a lot of women playing the role of
head of religion, in addition, the number of female clergies and
believers is also quite large, typically Tenrikyo, Omotokyo, Shinnyo-en,

etc.
4.1.6. Efforts to reach international impact
The new Japanese religions have a quite large number of believers
abroad, especially in Brazil, in the US. The reason for this was the wave
of emigration from Japan to other countries after the Meiji Restoration
of 1868, followed by the attempts to spread new religions abroad after
1945.
4.1.7. The architecture of the place of worship is modern and
creative
One of the points that create a unique look for new religions is the
architecture of place of worship, from creatively imitating Western
architecture or following traditional architecture but having a distinct
feature.
4.2. Assessment of the impact of the new religious movement on
Japanese society after World War II to 2018
4.2.1. Positive impacts
The new religions have activities to contribute to the society such
as movement for peace, environmental protection, advocacy for
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education reform, etc. These are important issues in post-war Japan.
After the great Kobe earthquake in 1995 and the 2011 earthquaketsunami double disaster in Japan, new religious organizations have
made active contributions to charitable activities, helping people in
disaster areas, rebuilding their lives and overcoming psychological
shocks.
4.2.2. Negative impacts
The most typical of the activities that have a negative impacts on
the society of new religion is that of the Aum Shinrikyo sect.
Propaganda of reactionary teachings, justification for acts of damage to

lives and property, especially the 1995 Sarin poisoning in the subway in
Tokyo causing disorder, social security is unforgivable. In addition, the
issue of new religion and politics is also a controversial issue in Japan.
4.3. The impacts of the new religions on the Adjustment of the
Religious policy of the Japanese Government
Until 1990, the need to amend the Japanese Law on religious legal
entities, though mentioned more or less, was not an overly necessary
issue. However, the event that Aum Shinrikyo sect organized a series of
kidnappings and poisoning with Sarin gas in 1995 created a tremendous
shock not only in the political and social life in Japan but also in the
world. The persecution carried out by the Aum Shinrikyo sect was
immediately debated by public opinion and experts, legislators. The
Aum Shinrikyo sect was the direct cause leading to the amendment and
supplementation of the Japanese Law on religious legal entities. The
draft amendment to the Japanese Law on religious legal entities was
submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval on
December 8, 1995.
4.4. Some connections with Vietnam
According to the announcement of some religious researchers in
Vietnam, new religion is also a very remarkable phenomenon in
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Vietnam. From practical Japanese experience, it is perceived that in
order to prevent harmful social activities caused by religious
organizations, as well as to prevent the exploitation and support of
hostile foreign forces, the necessary oversight of religious organizations
is required.
SUB-CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 4 4
The new religions in Japan in the period after World War II to the

1990s have outstanding features and have a multifaceted impact on the
cultural and social life in Japan. The activities participating in the
movement of peacekeeping and environmental protection, disaster relief,
etc. demonstrate the positive aspects of the new religious organizations.
However, the "sudden" appearance of new religions also brings many
negative impacts on society.
CONCLUSION
The new religions in Japan, from the end of World War II until
now, have been a prominent phenomenon in the religious life of Japan
during this period. The lax about the State's role in religious
management regulated by the law, the hot economic growth that leads
to high-speed changes in socio-cultural life are the basic factors that led
to the "outbreak" of new religions in Japan, forming a spiritual
movement. The new religions have met the spiritual needs of a majority
of the people in our constantly changing society. The new religions
were born from the modification of traditional religious elements and
reflected the psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of post-war
Japanese social life. Therefore, besides the traditional features, the new
religions also have their own features and changes in different periods.
The development of a new religious movements in Japan after World
War II was a process that had a very big initial appearance. Of the
thousands of religious organizations that were considered new in this
period, there are many organizations that have emerged or originated in
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the pre-war period. As one of the religions with miraculous progress
after 1945, Soka Gakkai- not only has a rapid growth in believers but
also features a new type of religion closely related to the political life of
a country in which the principle of "dissociated orthodoxy" has been

affirmed in the Constitution and the Law on religious legal entities. This
also confirms the current nature of modern Japanese religion as well as
the transformation of traditional Buddhism in new religions. Aum
Shinrikyo sect, which appeared in the second period of 1971 to 1995,
considered a "new religion" is a special example of a new religious sect
that tends to go against the values of the Japanese people in particular
and the human race in general. The event of mass murder by this sect's
toxic chemical is a wake-up call for managers in Japan in particular and
around the world in general about the danger level of a new religious
organization that has committed violence beyond the control of the state
government. Also from here, the development of the new religious
movements in Japan entered a new stage, after 1995, it was a period of
trying to maintain influence and take advantage of the new context.
The massively emerging new religion considered as "mushrooms
after the rain" in the post-war period had a significant influence on
Japanese society. Besides the positive impacts such as contributing to
the peacekeeping movement, environmental protection, charity
activities, investment in the health and education sector, relieving
psychological stress and bringing balance to people in a fiercely
competitive society, many new religions also have harmful impacts on
society, for example, criminal activity that has been condemned
publicly and legally punished as in the case of the Aum Shinrikyo sect,
there are many religious organizations that make profits and propagate
superstitions, causing damage to human lives and property. However,
when assessing the impacts of the new religions in Japan, we can still
comment that the new religions still play a significant and active role,
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