Happy Science

Happy Science
幸福の科学
Formation6 October 1986 (1986-10-06)
FoundersRyuho Okawa
TypeJapanese new religious movement
Headquarters1-2-38 Higashi Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0022, Japan
Membership
  • 11 million (self-claimed)
  • 38,000 (JGSS survey estimate)
  • 30,000 (Kyoko Okawa's estimate)
  • 13,000 (Hirohiro Okawa's estimate)
Ryuho Okawa
Websitehappy-science.org
Formerly called
The Institute for Research in Human Happiness (until 2008)

Happy Science (幸福の科学, Kōfuku-no-Kagaku), formerly known as the Institute for Research in Human Happiness, is a new religious movement founded in Japan on 6 October 1986 by former Wall Street trader Ryuho Okawa, whose followers regarded him as the incarnation of a supreme being from Venus. Happy Science has been described as a cult.

The Happy Science group includes a publication division called IRH Press, schools such as Happy Science Academy and Happy Science University, a political party called the Happiness Realization Party, and three media entertainment divisions, which are called New Star Production, ARI Production and HS Pictures Studio.