Hiroshi Araki was the spokesman for Aum, a religious movement whose members were responsible for the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gassing.

"The true mystery of Aum is not what its members believe, but why they choose to believe it - why, in such a sophisticated society, it draws intelligent people such as Mr Araki. 'All of us are thinking it's very strange,' says Mr Arai of Kita Mimaki. 'Why does Aum have such appeal for people?' That is the most difficult and important question of all."