Aum Shinrikyo victim's son wants continued remorse

The Japan Times/March 19, 2025

The son of a victim in an abduction case involving the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult wants perpetrators to continue feeling remorse 30 years on.
"There are two kinds of atonement," said Minoru Kariya, 65, whose father, Kiyoshi, then 68, was killed in the incident. "One is criminal punishment for breaking the law and the other is compensation to victims."

In February 1995, Kiyoshi was abducted on a street in Tokyo by senior cult members seeking information about the whereabouts of his younger sister. Then-Aum Shinrikyo leader Chizuo Matsumoto, who went by the name of Shoko Asahara, had ordered the abduction so that Kiyoshi's sister, who was a follower of the cult, would make a large donation to it.

During the criminal trial, it was established that Kiyoshi died after being given a large amount of anesthetic. The perpetrators were convicted of detainment and confinement resulting in death.

Dissatisfied with the court's failure to find the perpetrators guilty of murder, Kariya filed a civil suit against them.

In 2001, seven former senior cult members were ordered to pay damages totaling about ¥59 million, but the compensation claim expired 10 years later without payment. Two former cult members who had settled with Kariya on a 20-year payment plan also stopped transferring money after a while.

"In criminal trials, they say that they'll make amends for the rest of their lives," Kariya said. "I thought, if that's so, they should (pay compensation) for 20 years."

Meanwhile, a former senior member who surrendered to police on New Year's Eve in 2011 initially agreed to pay Kariya over 10 years after being released from prison. But this was changed to a monthly payment of ¥10,000 over two years after release, as the former senior member's time in prison was prolonged.

Payments were made on the day of the month of Kiyoshi's death. "This was what I wanted," Kariya said. "I didn't want the money, but I wanted perpetrators to keep feeling remorse."

After his father's death, Kariya joined a nationwide group of crime victims and engaged in activism to expand victims' rights. Although some of the group's demands have been achieved, such as introducing a system for victims to participate in criminal trials and increasing benefits, many challenges remain unresolved.

One demand that has yet to be met is the introduction of a system in which the state purchases victims' compensation claims and collect payments from perpetrators.

"Many people serving prison sentences believe their atonement will be over once they are released," Kariya said. "Making them work and compensate victims may help prevent repeat offenses."

The day before the abduction, Kariya was told by Kiyoshi that the father had "a responsibility to protect the family." This has resonated with Kariya, who said he is beginning to understand the meaning of the remark more and more as he approaches his father's age at the time.

Kariya plans to conclude his victim support activities soon.

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