This week’s cult is unlike any other, and honestly kind of a smart scam. Ho No Hana Sanpogyo, a modern, japanese for-profit cult led by multimillionaire Hogen Fukunaga, claims to perform a palm reading but on the soles of people’s feet to then diagnose them with severe illnesses or death sentences. The people are then encouraged to go to extensive training sessions to overcome their “diagnosed” issue. Keep in mind, the people who are conducting said foot readings are not qualified medical professionals in any way and have no idea what they’re talking about. They take advantage of the desperate people who come into sessions looking for answers and end up leaving paying obscene amounts of money on sessions, ornaments, scrolls, and books. There are numerous accounts of people who failed to attend all of Fukunaga’s sessions and are guilt tripped, told that their illness or their child’s illness is their fault because they refused to listen to Fukunaga.
Hogen Fukunaga claims to be the reincarnation of both Jesus and Buddha. In reality, he is a businessman, making upwards of 20,000 pounds a month, which he claims to have been dictated by to him by heaven. In 1987 the group gained official recognition as a religious corporation. New members were initiated into grueling conditions, forced to stay up for days and run around the streets yelling things that roughly translate to “I am living a happy and healthy life!” and “Fantastic!”. After training, the new members were led into private rooms where people who worked for Fukanaga would intimidate them into giving more money to the cult.
FUJINOMIYA, JAPAN – JANUARY 06: (CHINA OUT, SOUTH KOREA OUT) ‘Ho no Hana’ cult leader Hogen Fukunaga speaks during a press conference at the headquarters on January 6, 2000 in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka, Japan. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)
Japanese authorities had been on Fukunaga’s tail since 1997 because he failed to report income taxes. They uncovered more fraud throughout his books, including revealing the illness scams as the people who were diagnosed were perfectly healthy. Fukunaga attempted to build up his clout by fabricating interactions and relationships with well known figures and celebrities. He met with Pope John Paul II as a plus one with his friend who actually got invited and gave a ring to the Pope while he had a matching ones, and the two took a picture. Fukunaga relayed this as the Pope gave him the ring and posted the picture, claiming it was initiated by the Pope as a sign to get closer to world peace. This was completely false and the Japanese Catholic Bishop’s office launched a protest against Ho No Hana Sanpogyo. In 1999 the cult was raided on claims of three women who filed a lawsuit against Fukunaga because of fraud. In the three years following, over 1000 more people filed similar claims, ultimately seeking 5.4 billion yen.
Sources:
“Ho No Hana Sanpogyo – News Archive and Research Resources on Japan’s Foot Cult.” Apologetics Index, 2000, www.apologeticsindex.org/h10.html.
Kristin Reed says:
I feel so bad for the people who got tied in to this cult. It’s easy for desperate people to believe anything for the hope that it may improve their situation. I think it’s horrible that the leader of this cult took advantage of these people and millions off of them.
March 21, 2019 — 6:34 pm
Austin Hepburn says:
This guy is actually very smart besides for the fact that he got caught with fraud. But who actually believes you can read fortune through feet? In this case, this type of deception is evil, especially considering he provides death sentences to his clients to scare them.
March 28, 2019 — 3:44 pm
Qobstaw says:
Honestly, this is the big idea of many cults: basically manipulating scaring, lying, and threatening you for money or for you to proceed with inappropriate actions.
May 18, 2022 — 4:09 am