The latest years, Japan has been relatively calm on the "bizarre cults" side of life. Last year, I did a quick review of some of the more exotic cults out there in Japan (check it out here) but since then, it's been very quiet.
However, last week a new and quite interesting little movement calling themselves "The Romasophie Association" (check them out here in Japanese) made the news. It's not easy to understand what they really try to be about, but it seems to be some mix of healing, "energy manipulation" and some anthroposophy thrown into the mix as well on the spiritual side, but mixed with a bizarre imagery of miniskirts, Mexican wrestling masks and tight tops. Somehow it seems like they managed to turn this into a minor business with seminars, lectures, books, videos and bizarre festivals combining female wrestling, interpretive dance and spiritual talks. Quite a riot it seems.
This little cult came into the news spotlight after some pretty heavy-handed spanking abuse of a female member got revealed in their little cultish collective. The leaders of the cult are husband and wife team (see the picture) the Iwazawa.
Apparently the cult's little collective gathered some notoriety in their neighborhood as their cult member (primarily females it seems) stood out a bit in their colored tights or miniskirts.
As far as abusive cults go, this one seems quite harmless, they didn't gather more than a handful of members and did the standard routine of getting their member to donate their money to the "movement" and getting their members to do the chores for them, doling out punishment when things weren't done the "right way". The somewhat harsh spanking which forced one of the members to seek medical attention seem to have been a slight miscalculation on the Iwazawa's part as things started to come apart from there.
In the big book of Japanese cults, the Romasophie movement will not be more than a short parenthesis perhaps, but a slightly colorful and amusing one at least, so if you are feeling a bit down, please enjoy a little interpretive dance, Romasophie style here!
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7 comments:
If only Manabu Oshio had stuck to dishing out spanks rather than drugs...
Scheike copy-cats! Did you listen to the p3 dokumentar about that?
I think I'd like to join.
That's crazy... but very creative.
Darn, if only I could convince some hot chicks to give me their time, money and bodies! I needa start myself a nice, garden variety cult. I won't even be too ambitious or evil.
Penguin - You should think bigger! Why not do the spanking while on drugs?!
Big bro - Yep, listened to that. But this little cult wasn't as amusing since the spanking was pure punishment and not seen as the overall purpose of life...
Jen B - Well, I'm sure they would welcome you! If you work hard and climb the ladder, who knows? Maybe in ten years, it is you who deal out the spanking?
Eva - Yep, did you watch the dance? Creative indeed!
Aimless - Let me know when you have figured it out and I'll join in!
She's too hot for him. Why is there a picture of them abusing each other on the cover? What is that about...
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