Japan court orders government to hand over AUM founder remains to daughter

A Japanese court ordered the government on Wednesday to hand over the hair and cremated remains of the executed AUM Shinrikyo cult founder Shoko Asahara to his second daughter after a top court ruled in 2021 that she can take them into her possession.

The government had urged during the trial at the Tokyo District Court that the daughter’s request to have them handed over be rejected, stressing concerns that they could become objects of worship for followers of AUM Shinrikyo’s successor groups, including one known as Aleph.