IF YOU’RE HAPPYAND YOU KNOWIT...FT 38949displaying the Happies’ economicstrength as
“manifest proof”ofOkawa’s sacrednature;
in materialistic early-1990sJapan,high
financial status equatedtohighspiritual
status,and manyrecruitswere essentially
Japanese yuppies. Unlikemostreligions,
HS hadabusiness-plan.When targetsfor
expansionwere met, theysuddenlybecame
recast as successful ‘prophecies’ onThe
Master’sbehalf,inareversal of politicians’
usual tactic ofabandoning unmet targets as
mere‘aspirations’. Okawa’s ultimate aimisto
convert the entireworld.
It wasoriginally quitehardtojoinHS:
hopeful applicants had toread “at least”
10 of Okawa’s books and then write a
tough essay, but theseexams later became
multiple-choice, with the newchance to win
cash prizes attached; noweventhese have
beenabandoned. Okawahas builtarich,
professional international organisation with
aclaimed 12 million membersworldwide,
who gather at temples called ‘HappyScience
Shojas’–“town squaresofthe soul” and
“lighthouses shining Heaven’slight to the
surrounding areas”, no less–torecite sutras
from Okawa’s books and arrangecharity
work.Here,apractice known as ‘Happiness
Planting’ takes place–the soliciting
of financial donations, or,ifyou prefer,
donations ofyour free time instead.These
arevoluntary, as withchurch collection-
plates, but carryechoes of Okawa’s previous
career in finance.Thereissuchathingas
‘seed-capital’, in whichinvestorsgivemoney
to start-upbusinesses in hope of seeing them
grow,thus contributing to theexpansion of
both the wider economyand the investor’s
ownbank balance. Happiness Plantinglooks
similar. By donating moneytothem, the
Happies say, “not onlydoyoucontribute to
creating moreprosperity in thisworld, but
storespiritualwealth and virtueforwhenyoureturn backtoHeaven. Let us all aim to
become angels ofwealth.”^3
If Okawacanwork suchwondersfor the
soul, then whynot alsoforthe stagnating
Japanese economy? Can he magically
multiplyYenjust asJesus couldloaves
and fishes?Tofindout, Okawafounded
his political wing, the HRP,just in timefor
2009’sGeneral Election. Run initiallyby
his wifeKyoko, whomOkawasaidwasthe
earthly incarnation of the goddessAphrodite
(all husbandsthink that at first), the HRP
putforward345 candidates butfailed to
landasingleMP(althoughtheydid get
amillionvotes).Their bizarremanifesto
wasexplained in an interviewOkawa
gave to theJapan Timesprior to polling
day. Avowedlyright-wing in outlook,the
HRP aimed to makeJapangreat againby
lowering taxes to stimulate fiscalgrowth,
andreversepopulation declinebythrowing
openJapan’sborderswiththe aim of nearly
doubling the population to 300 million. If
suchmeasureswere not taken, thenJapan’s
ageingpopulationwould lead it to economic
collapse, with too manypensionersfor the
working-age citizenrytosupport with taxes.
Thus, the HRP wishes torecreateJapan’s
miraculous 1980s boom-yearsbyimitating
the Reaganite policies oflaissez-faire
economic liberalism their High Priest saw
working at close-hand during his early days
in NewYork.UNDIPLOMATICCHANNELS
Away from economics,the HRP seeks to
overcomeJapan’s“colonial” mentalityby
revoking Article9ofthe pacifistJapanese
constitution, which prevents the country
properly re-arming.Japan had to beable to
defend herself,Okawaexplained, because
NorthKorea’sthen-dictator, KimJong-Il,
waspreparing tonuketheImperialPalacein Tokyoat the behest of China.The HRP
released an election video ofamushroom
cloud billowingoverTokyo,arguing the
urgent needforJapan to develop itsown
A-bombs asadeterrent against Kim’splans,
whichOkawaclaimed to have heard straight
from the horse’smouth...bytalking to Kim’s
ghost.^4 This seems puzzling,asin2009 Kim
Jong-Ilwasstill alive.However,asOkawa’s
channelled bookTheGuardian Spirit of Kim
Jong-Il Speaksmade clear,itwas nothis ghost
preciselyOkawaquizzed, but an aspect of his
soul. Aswasexplained duringa2016grilling
byOkawaof the brain-ghostofthesimilarly
still-animate DonaldTrump,itistheview
of HS that each person’ssoul consists of six
separate entities termed ‘soul siblings’, one
of whom, the ‘Guardian Spirit’, liveswithin
(and basicallyis) our subconscious mind.
Luckily, the highlypsychic Okawais able
to access the Spirit Guardians of living
worldleadersandtalk shopabouttheirtrue
intentions.FromTrump–“aman whose time
has come”–Okawalearned of his fear that
largenumbersofMuslimsallowedinto the
US together might not integrate well. Trump
suggestedJapan could acceptall Syrian
refugees instead, whichchimednicelywith
the HRP’sownliberal immigration policy.
Ghost-Donaldalsoendorsed the otherkey
HRP policyofarmingJapan withnuclear-
tipped ICBMs,rather than the country
relying upon the US to defendthem from the
Kims atgreatexpense.^5
Okawacanspeak to actual dead souls
too,the majority of whom also love HRP
policies.TheProphet Muhammad, Nelson
Mandela, JS Mill,Jesus Christ–all agree
with different aspects of the Happyplatform,
anditwas upon the advice of suchspirits
that Master Okawaentered politicsinthe
first place.^6 So frequent arehis channelled
chatsthatJapan’spublishing industryABOVE LEFT:The HappinessRealisationPartyleader Jikido Aeba shakes hands withKyokoOkawa,wifeoft he founder Ryuho Okawa.ABOVE RIGHT:Ahappy Ryuho Okawa.HARUMI
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