Key Facts
• 2025: Police discovered millions of yen in cash at a residence in Koshigaya City.
• The home belongs to the wife and son of executed Aum Shinrikyo leader Shoko Asahara.
• Aum Shinrikyo, active since 1984, was responsible for the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack.
• Asahara was executed in 2018 after being convicted as the mastermind of the attacks.
• Successor groups like Aleph remain under surveillance by Japan’s Public Security Bureau.
• Aleph owes over 1 billion yen in compensation to sarin attack victims, with payments delayed.
• Public Security Bureau suspected the residence was linked to Aleph’s activities.
• The wife and son are not Aleph members but are believed to receive financial support.
• Aleph reportedly seeks to position Asahara’s son as its new leader.
• Police conducted a rare search after the family refused a Public Security Bureau inspection.
Summary
Authorities in Japan uncovered millions of yen in cash at the home of Shoko Asahara’s wife and son in Koshigaya City. Asahara, the former leader of Aum Shinrikyo, was executed in 2018 for orchestrating the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack. Despite the group’s dissolution, successor organizations like Aleph remain active and under surveillance. Aleph, which owes over 1 billion yen in victim compensation, is suspected of financially supporting Asahara’s family. Public Security Bureau officials believe the residence may be linked to Aleph’s activities, including efforts to establish Asahara’s son as a new leader. The discovery followed a rare police search after the family refused an inspection. The case highlights ongoing concerns about Aum Shinrikyo’s legacy and its successor groups.
