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Lately, I can’t help noticing that the walls of the city are being plastered with political posters by The Happiness Realization Party (幸福実現党 or HRPs as I like to call them). Here’s a picture I took today of HRPs posters heavily outnumbering the poor chap on the Komeito Party poster.  You can practically see the happiness slipping through his fingers.

There were actually even more HRPs posters on the next wall but I couldn’t fit them in the shot. I’ve been wondering about these people for a while now as they parade up and down in their vans, waving their white gloved hands and promising us all HAPPINESS… They seemed suspiciously cultish. Could it be that they have combined the creeping hypocrisy of organized religion with the snide corruption of politics to create a new breed of überwankers?

So I did a bit of a search on the interwebs and it turns out that yes they are the new political wing of  Japanese religious sect “Happy Science” (幸福の科学). I’ve come across these people before. Once upon a time in Fukushima, a co-worker, who seemed like a nice enough sort, handed me one of their books with the words “This might interest you. It’s Buddhism.”

“Oh, thank you, ” says I innocently, “I’m interested in Buddhism.”

Well, it’s not Buddhism. Not even remotely. More like very badly written science fiction. I think I managed to get through about a chapter of “The Laws of The Sun” before I just couldn’t take it anymore and threw it away (and I like Science Fiction). I don’t remember too much to be honest, just something about Venusians and Atlantis and how their leader Ryuho Okawa is the reincarnation of the Buddha. Judging by his writing style it’s more likely he’s the reincarnation of  L. Ron Hubbard. There are plenty of other wacky beliefs though. Just look them up on wikipedia. Anyway, I was a bit taken aback that my co-worker, this seemingly rational, kind, caring lady (she worked with handicapped kids) believed all this nonsense. But then people who set themselves up as prophets do seem to have this power to feed off and thrive on people’s insecurities.  Bit sad really when you think of each individual victim, but scary when you think of vast numbers of people supporting this sect and the kind of power this gives their leaders. It seems that Mr. O. studied International Finance in New York before realising his higher calling: you can make heaps more money inventing your own religion. And he has. And he has a lot of power and influence as a result.

And now he’s got his spooky looking wife (that’s her on the posters) leading a political party and clearly has funding for a massive propaganda advertising campaign. So what are their policies? Basically, we are all doomed and North Korea is going to bomb the crap out of us unless Japan drops “the pacifist Article 9 of [Japan's] constitution and prepare to defend itself against North Korea and China“. It’s worth remembering that the leader of HRPs is married to a prophet so she knows what she is talking about. Current Buddhist teaching it seems, is “flawed”. In an interview last year, the Stepford wife explained:

“If you take the ‘thou shalt not kill’ precept too far, you cannot protect your country. Historical fact shows that weakness in Buddhism,” Kyoko said. “That’s why we wanted to develop Buddhist teaching.” LINK

This blogger has a nice analysis of that development:  “SEETHING HATE-MONGER LOONS“. Japan Probe also has a  has a nice summary of the HRPs campaign video…

I just watched that video. I have to tell you, it didn’t make me very happy.  The official explanation of the party logo is “The brilliant Earth shows prosperity and the Golden Wing represents courage and hope.” It kind of looks like the world bursting into flames though, doesn’t it?

The (very very lovely) latest edition of Kyoto Journal has the antidote to this poison: Article 9 and the Imagination. Buy it! Subcribe!