Editing Ryuho Okawa (section)

===Happiness Realization Party===
{{Main|Happiness Realization Party}}
[[File:Ryuho Okawa 2009.jpg|thumb|Okawa delivering a policy speech during the [[2009 Japanese general election]], August 2009.]]

In September 2008, Okawa lectured at the New York branch of Happy Science, in which he talked about the political soft power of Happy Science:<ref name=dessi2013p109>{{Harvnb|Dessì|2013|p=109}}</ref><blockquote>Happy Science is the most powerful and famous religion in Japan. I needed only 20 years to accomplish this. I was first asked for advice by Prime Minister [[Yasuhiro Nakasone|Nakasone]] in 1988. Then we had Prime Minister [[Kiichi Miyazawa|Miyazawa]] who was a member of Happy Science, and after that, we produced a lot of Prime Ministers and Ministers. So I became one of the most influential kingmakers of Japan. The Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. [[Tarō Asō|Aso]], visited Happy Science recently ... I gave him a strategy to become Japan's Prime Minister. He learned a lot and became the Prime Minister and came to New York to give a speech at the Assembly of the United Nations. It was based on just what I told him. So I am one of the kingmakers of Japan. I can choose a Japanese Prime Minister and I can have a Prime Minister quit in a month. It's a hidden secret of Japan ... Happy Science is the most influential power in Japan. So, if the American President cannot realize some diplomatic policy, he can just ask me and I can realize it in a week or so. It's a hidden secret. In Japan, religion has more power than politics.<ref name=dessi2013pp109-110>{{Harvnb|Dessì|2013|pp=109–110}}</ref></blockquote>

A few months later, Okawa announced the founding of the Happiness Realization Party (HRP), the political wing of Happy Science. In April 2009, Okawa presented the party's {{Nihongo|Declaration|幸福実現党宣言|Kōfuku Jitsugentō sengen}}. On 23 May 2009, the party was formally founded with {{ill|Jikidō Aeba|ja|あえば浩明}} as party leader.<ref name=dessi2013p110>{{Harvnb|Dessì|2013|p=110}}</ref><ref name=shields2009p52>{{Harvnb|Shields|2009|p=52}}</ref> The party was founded in anticipation of the [[2009 Japanese general election]] on 30 August 2009.<ref name=shields2009p52/> The party is religious, conservative, and populist.<ref name=shields2009p56>{{Harvnb|Shields|2009|p=56}}</ref> The party does not make direct reference to the religious ideas of Happy Science.<ref name=shields2009p60>{{Harvnb|Shields|2009|p=60}}</ref>

Okawa's wife Kyoko became party leader on 4 June 2009.<ref name=dessi2013p110/> On 22 July, Okawa was appointed as president of the party.<ref>{{cite web |title=「幸福の科学」大川隆法氏、衆院選比例東京から立候補へ |url=https://www.asahi.com/senkyo2009/news/TKY200907220376.html |website=asahi.com |access-date=23 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606161509/https://www.asahi.com/senkyo2009/news/TKY200907220376.html |archive-date=6 June 2021 |language=ja |date=22 July 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In that year's general election, the party fielded 337 candidates, including 75 women, in 288 out of the 300 constituencies in Japan. This number of candidates was rivalled only by the two major parties at the time, the [[Democratic Party of Japan]] and the [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|Liberal Democratic Party]].<ref name=shields2009p52 /> However, the party did not win any seats. It claimed to have just over one million votes, which is 1.4% of all votes cast, despite Happy Science having about ten million members.<ref name=shields2009p52 /><ref name=shields2009p53>{{Harvnb|Shields|2009|p=53}}</ref>{{efn|This discrepancy may be because many, if not most Happy Science members, are only loosely connected to the party.<ref name=shields2009p53 />}} The party also unsuccessfully ran for the 2009 [[Sendai]] mayoral election.<ref name=dessi2013p110/> Kyoko stepped down as party leader and became head of the party's publicity department on 29 July before resigning from the party on 15 August.<ref name=tsukada2010p46>{{Harvnb|Tsukada|2010|p=46}}</ref> Okawa resigned as president on 12 September and a turnover of top party officials occurred.<ref name=dessi2013p110/>

In May 2010, the party gained its first seat in the [[House of Councillors]] when [[Yasuhiro Oe]] left the [[Democratic Party of Japan]] and joined HRP.<ref name=dessi2013p110/> On 21 April, Okawa was appointed honorary president of the party.<ref>{{cite web |title=『幸福実現党』幸福の科学グループ 大川隆法総裁の党名誉総裁就任、並びに党首交代についての発表 |url=https://info.hr-party.jp/press-release/2010/53/ |website=幸福実現党 |access-date=23 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214042/https://info.hr-party.jp/press-release/2010/53/ |archive-date=2 June 2021 |language=ja |date=23 April 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> A House of Councillors election was held in July, where no HRP candidates won. In December, Oe left HRP.<ref name=dessi2013p110/><ref name=tsukada2010p46/>

On 27 December 2012, Okawa was reappointed as president of the party.<ref>{{cite web |title=幸福実現党の総裁人事・党首交代等について |url=https://info.hr-party.jp/press-release/2012/955/ |website=幸福実現党 |access-date=23 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815163447/https://info.hr-party.jp/press-release/2012/955/ |archive-date=15 August 2022 |language=ja |date=28 December 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>