Ryuho Okawa

Ryuho Okawa
大川 隆法
Okawa in 2015
President of the Happiness Realization Party
In office
27 December 2012 – 2 March 2023
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byVacant
In office
22 July 2009 – 12 September 2009
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byVacant
President of Happy Science
In office
19 November 1996 – 2 March 2023
Preceded byPosition established
Chairman of Happy Science
In office
6 October 1986 – 19 November 1996
Preceded byPosition established
Personal details
BornTakashi Nakagawa (中川 隆)
(1956-07-07)7 July 1956
Died2 March 2023(2023-03-02) (aged 66)
Tokyo, Japan
CitizenshipJapanese
Spouses
Kyoko Kimura (木村 恭子, Kimura Kyōko)
(m. 1988; div. 2012)
Shio Kondo (近藤 紫央, Kondō Shio)
(m. 2012)
Children5, including Hiroshi Okawa (大川 宏洋, Ōkawa Hiroshi)
RelativesShizuko Nakagawa (中川 静子, Nakagawa Shizuko)
Alma materTokyo University
City University of New York
OccupationReligious leader
Political activist
Websitehttps://ryuho-okawa.org/
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Ryuho Okawa (大川 隆法; Ōkawa Ryūhō; born Takashi Nakagawa (中川 隆; Nakagawa Takashi), 7 July 1956 – 2 March 2023) was a Japanese religious and political leader who was the CEO and founder of the Happy Science and the Happiness Realization Party. He was also an author and chairman of two companies affiliated with the organization, New Star Production and ARI Production.

His organization has been widely criticised as a cult. Adherents of the religion worship Okawa, who claimed to be the current incarnation of a god called "El Cantare" and a number of other beings, including Hermes and Gautama Buddha.