"The History of Kamikuishiki Village": The Video Game of the Terrifying Aum Shinrikyō Cult

On the morning of March 20, 1995, the Tokyo subway suffered a series of sarin gas attacks, killing 13 people (one of whom died after spending years hospitalized) and affecting 1,000 others. These attacks were organized by the apocalyptic cult known as Aum Shinrikyō and its leader Shoko Asahara. The cult conducted various experiments with audiovisual material to expand its influence and recruit members since its founding in 1984, but one stands out above the rest: the game called The History of Kamikuishiki Village. At first glance it is strange and unsettling, but its story goes deeper…

A bizarre creation

One of the first things the political class does when violence breaks out among the young is to blame video games, as if they had a "will of their own" focused on sowing chaos. Video games are simply a medium. There is always one or more minds behind them, but there are times when even that detail can be confusing. That brings us to a very particular case: the Japanese apocalyptic cult Aum Shinrikyō.

During its early years of activity, the group used radio, anime, manga, and magazines to spread its "teachings". Of course, everything changed in the early '90s when its acts of terror began to be known (with a certain emphasis on the murder of opponents and of members who wished to leave the cult). But between the chemical attacks, threats, disappearances, torture and death... a video game appeared. Strange and disturbing, even for those who don't understand the language. Its name translates to The History of Kamikuishiki Village, and apparently, the modern Web is obsessed with solving its mysteries.

"The History of Kamikuishiki Village" has been classified as "doujin soft", a game made by an enthusiast for fun. This undoes the idea that it was an official project of Aum Shinrikyō, and places it in a line of satire-trolling-shitposting, despite the multiple YouTube posts that talk about mind control and brainwashing. Another interesting fact is that the game would have been first published in June 1995, just three months after the attacks.

A real place, a dark objective

Now, Kamikuishiki is a real place, which served as a "headquarters" for Aum Shinrikyō and its founder Shoko Asahara, executed last year. The fact that "The History of Kamikuishiki Village" appears in the game's name reveals (to a certain extent) what the player's goal is: build the village, control and expand the cult until reaching the final phase, which is the attack on the subway. If you fail, your defeat condition causes the end of the world.

During the game, scenes recorded by the Japanese press are played that certainly are not favorable to Aum Shinrikyō, including the ridiculous exchanges between its spokespersons and local journalists. Once again, the theory of satire gains strength, and it comes associated with a name: Yoshihisa "Kowloon" Kurosawa, much better known for "Hong Kong 97", perhaps one of the worst video games in history.

Hong Kong 97 was developed and published by HappySoft Ltd., a company that appears as the developer of "The History of Kamikuishiki Village" in old advertisements in underground magazines. If we look at the gameplay of both games, it's not hard to imagine they are distant cousins, beyond the differences in genres (semi-strategy vs. bullet hell).

Kurosawa insists that he was not the one who created "The History of Kamikuishiki Village", but he admits that he knew the people responsible: two of his friends, both very talented programmers, who were still in high school at the time. Aum Shinrikyō's intention to enter the political circuit, the constant exposure of the cult to the public by the press, and the effects of the terrorist attack would have served as "inspiration" to make the game. That team of programmers used the name "Kanai Karasawa", and according to Kurosawa, "The History of Kamikuishiki Village" was just one of many games.

Kurosawa shared another odd detail: one of them ended up in the ranks of Konami. Japanese retro gaming communities added this information to what was discovered in the readme file of another Kanai Karasawa game, and believe it to be Takeshi Kanai and Kouichi Kanasawa. Kanasawa was a programmer for Konami in at least half a dozen projects. Finally, Kurosawa confirmed their identities, but none of them admitted their relationship with the game.

So, everything seems to indicate that "The History of Kamikuishiki Village" is a satire by two high schoolers who sought to mock the cult. Why is it so disturbing? One reason is that many of its images are effectively legitimate propaganda of Aum Shinrikyō, reproduced and recycled ad nauseam by Japanese television.

Aum Shinrikyō is still active today, divided into two groups: "Aleph", and "Hikari no Wa".

Source

Source: VICE