Download or read book Religion and Social Crisis in Japan written by Mark R. Mullins and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2001-05-14 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the time Aum Shinrikyõ emerged, most Japanese assumed that they lived in one of the most well-ordered and safest societies, a model that had much to offer the chaotic Western world. This assumption was shaken on 20 March 1995 when the deadly nerve gas sarin was released on the Tokyo subway system. Since that incident, the 'Aum affair' has had widespread repercussions and shaken the Japanese psyche in a serious way. This volume provides a window onto contemporary Japanese society by considering the various reactions and responses to this crisis precipitated by this deviant religious movement.