Crime Today marks 30 years since deadly sarin attack on Tokyo subway

Thursday marks 30 years since the deadly sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway, orchestrated by the Aum Shinrikyo cult. On 20 March 1995, members of the group released the highly toxic substance inside trains on three subway lines, resulting in the deaths of 14 people and injuring approximately 6,300 others.



Thirteen senior figures from the former cult, including its leader, Asahara Shoko—born Matsumoto Chizuo—were sentenced to death for their involvement in the attack and other crimes. Their executions were carried out in 2018. Despite the group's dissolution, three successor organisations continue to operate. They remain under surveillance under a law designed to prevent indiscriminate mass violence, with the Public Security Intelligence Agency still conducting raids on their facilities.

Against this backdrop, calls are growing among bereaved family members and other people affected by the attack to pass on to future generations the lessons learned from the unprecedented terror attack. The calls come as younger generations today have little knowledge of the incident. A special stand will be set up at Kasumigaseki subway station on Thursday to allow mourners to offer flowers at the scene of one of the attacks. Silent prayers will be offered at 8 a.m., around the time the attack occurred.

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NHK documentary:

I remember when it happened, it felt so unreal. This was Japan we were talking about, nothing bad ever happened there. Japan was supposed to be this safe place where you could go about your business without worrying about anything bad happening, no matter where you were.

Strangely enough, neither of my two Japanese teachers, Sekine-sensei and Okamoto-sensei, ever spoke about it. We never discussed what had happened, never watched any NHK broadcasts, never read any newspapers.. I don't know if it was too close to home for them.

It's unbelievable that Aum Shinrikyo can continue to agitate under the name Aleph. As NHK reported today, five cult organisations were picking up their pieces, recruiting up to 100 members a year.

The cult that caused the previous incidents changed its name and is still active. Among them, more than 100 new members a year are added to the group using the name "Aleph", especially among younger generations.

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I was riding the Tokyo subway at the time of the attack, near the stations where it occurred but on an unaffected line. Then we watched the unbelievable events from the office on the trading floor where they had TVs. For years and years afterwards the wanted posters for the attackers were plastered all over Japan until they finally got all of them. Took 17 years to find all of them.