Masami Ito

Masami Ito is a staff writer of the Life and Culture section at The Japan Times. She is in charge of the weekly Sunday Timeout, covering various issues related to Japan, from drug addiction and child abuse to kendama and the 100th anniversary of Tokyo Station. During her 14-year career, she has written extensively on Japanese politics, foreign policy and social issues.
Social Contacts

Cult Attraction: Aum Shinrikyo’s Power of Persuasion

A former Aum Shinrikyo member reveals how difficult it is to distance oneself from the group once you decide to leave. Nagaoka’s son, who has asked for his name to be withheld to protect the privacy of his family, first joined Aum Shinrikyo in the fall of 1987 when he was still a college student studying Indian philosophy. He had always been fascinated with religion and had, by this time,... Continue Reading

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