The badly decomposed bodies of five adult siblings were found by police Wednesday evening in the Sennan, Osaka Prefecture, home of their 66-year-old uncle, a self-styled guru.
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Investigators have begun questioning Wakasa and the mother of the deceased, both of whom were found lying in bed in a weak condition, the sources said.

Wakasa was quoted as telling investigators that the five were not slain, but died one by one starting about two months ago after the family ran out of food.

In explaining why the bodies were left in the house and authorities weren't notified, Wakasa and Akiko told police that they wanted to take care of things themselves, the sources said.
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Wakasa was also quoted as telling police that the five were dirty and that he "had God cleanse them," investigators said.

Police said there were indications that the incident may be tied to some religious belief, adding that Wakasa is a self-styled guru without an establishment.

According to those who know the family, Wakasa has been religiously active for about 30 years and alienated the family and himself from society because of his religious beliefs.
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Some neighbors said they could hear music that sounded "very religious" emanating from the house from morning to night. They said the family would sometimes spread huge amounts of salt around the house.

Others said that the house had an altarlike space and that they thought the family was conducting religious rituals inside.
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