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Shōkō Asahara: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is Shōkō Asahara? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Shōkō Asahara
https://www.youtube.com/@royalchanel9229 via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Shoko Asahara (麻原 彰晃, Asahara Shōkō; March 2, 1955 – July 6, 2018), born Chizuo Matsumoto (松本 智津夫, Matsumoto Chizuo), was a Japanese cult leader and terrorist who founded and led the doomsday cult known as Aum Shinrikyo. He was convicted of masterminding the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway which killed 14 people and injured thousands more, and was also involved in several other assassinations and terrorist attacks. Asahara was sentenced to death in 2004, and his final appeal failed in 2011. In June 2012, his execution was postponed due to further arrests of Aum members. He was executed along with other senior members of Aum Shinrikyo on July 6, 2018.

Quick facts about Shōkō Asahara

  • Full name: Shōkō Asahara
  • Born: 1955-03-02
  • Nationality: Japan
  • Known as: Musician
  • Wikidata ID: Q311669

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Shōkō Asahara?

Shoko Asahara (麻原 彰晃, Asahara Shōkō; March 2, 1955 – July 6, 2018), born Chizuo Matsumoto (松本 智津夫, Matsumoto Chizuo), was a Japanese cult leader and terrorist who founded and led the doomsday cult known as Aum Shinrikyo.

What nationality is Shōkō Asahara?

Shōkō Asahara is Japan.

When was Shōkō Asahara born?

Shōkō Asahara was born on 1955-03-02.

Sources

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