Ryuho Okawa
Ryuho Okawa (大川 隆法; Ōkawa Ryūhō; born Takashi Nakagawa (中川 隆; Nakagawa Takashi) on July 7, 1956 in Yoshinogawa, Tokushima Prefecture) is the CEO and founder of the Happy Science religious organization and the Happiness Realization Party in Japan. He is also chairman of two companies affiliated with the organization, Newster Production and ARI Production. His organization has been widely criticised as a cult. Adherents of the religion worship Okawa, who claims to be the reincarnation of "El Cantare" and of a number of other beings, including Hermes and Gautama Buddha. Life and career. After graduating from the  University of Tokyo, he joined a Tokyo-based trading house. While working at its New York headquarters in 1982-1983, he studied finance at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. In 1986, he resigned his business career and started Happy Science. Since the founding of Happy Science, Okawa has reportedly published over 500 books, most of which are transcripts of his video recorded lectures. There are 15 films based on his teachings: "The Laws of the Sun", "The Laws of Eternity", "The Golden Laws", "The Terrifying Revelations of Nostradamus", "Hermes - Winds of Love", "The Rebirth of  Buddha", "The Mystical Laws", "The Final Judgement", "The Laws of the Universe", "I'm Fine My Angel", "The World We Live In", and "Daybreak". The three books "The Laws of the Sun", "The Golden Laws", and "The Laws of Eternity" (a.k.a. The Nine Dimensions) contain the core teachings of Happy Science. He was married to , former leader of the Happiness Realization Party and self-proclaimed "reborn Aphrodite and bodhisattva of wisdom and intellect", but it was reported in February 2011 that they had divorced. Happy Science announced that she had been permanently expelled for allegedly causing great personal and administrative  damage to the organization, libeling the organization in various newspapers, and besmirching the name of Lord El Cantare. Together they have 5 children. Their oldest child, Hiroshi Okawa, has since renounced his father, stating "I believe what my father does is complete nonsense." In an interview with Shūkan Bunshun on 28th February 2019, Hiroshi said he left Happy Science because he felt pressured by his father to marry the actress Fumika Shimizu, and his refusal to do so had angered his father. Happy Science has denied the accusations of trying to marry Hiroshi and Fumika to each other. He is  now married to Shio Okawa (大川 紫央 Okawa Shio, née Kondo), who is believed by members of Happy Science to be the incarnation of the goddess Gaia. Okawa was the target of an assassination attempt by rival cult Aum Shinrikyo in 1995 using VX agent.