30 years after deadly Tokyo subway gassing, survivors and victims’ families still seeking closure

Thirty years connected from the fatal sarin nervus state onslaught successful Tokyo's subway network, survivors and families who mislaid loved ones are inactive seeking justice.

Thirteen radical were killed and thousands were sickened erstwhile cult members released sarin nervus state successful the capital's subway trains connected March 20, 1995. The onslaught remains 1 of the astir shocking atrocities successful Japan, a state known for its debased transgression rates.

20 YEARS LATER, A SURVIVOR RECOUNTS JAPAN'S SARIN GAS ATTACK AND HOW IT AFFECTED HIS LIFE

The cult, Aum Shinrikyo oregon Supreme Truth, has since disbanded. Its founder, Shoko Asahara, and 12 of his disciples were executed successful 2018.

But 1,600 erstwhile members inactive run nether renamed groups and person ignored an bid to wage damages to survivors and bereaved families.

Shizue Takahashi mislaid her husband, a lawman presumption master, successful the attack. The mates was conscionable starting to bask clip to themselves aft raising 3 children erstwhile calamity struck.

"My beingness is inactive being ruined by Aum and its successor groups," said Takahashi, 78. "We request to transportation connected and not fto the memories fade."

People gasped for aerial and collapsed

At 8 a.m. during the greeting rush, 5 cult members got connected abstracted bid cars connected 3 subway lines converging astatine Kasumigaseki, Japan’s authorities center, each dropping bags of sarin connected the bid floors. They punctured the bags with umbrellas, releasing the state wrong the bid cars.

Within minutes, commuters poured retired of the trains onto the platforms, rubbing their eyes and gasping for air. Some collapsed. Others fled onto the streets wherever ambulances and rescue workers successful hazmat suits gave first-aid.

A subway sign, halfway top, is seen astatine the Kodenmacho station, that was affected by a deadly sarin nervus state onslaught 30 years ago, successful Tokyo, arsenic a rider gets retired of its exit Thursday, March 20, 2025.  (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Kazumasa Takahashi didn’t cognize the puddle helium was cleaning connected the subway car level was sarin. He collapsed arsenic helium removed a container — a sacrifice immoderate survivors accidental saved lives — and ne'er woke up.

The onslaught sickened much than 6,000. A 14th unfortunate died successful 2020 aft battling terrible after-effects.

The subway gassing happened aft a botched constabulary probe failed to nexus the cult to earlier crimes, says Yuji Nakamura, a lawyer for the survivors and the bereaved families. "It could person been prevented," helium said.

Two days aft the gassing, Tokyo police, carrying a caged canary to observe poison, raided Aum’s office adjacent Mount Fuji, wherever the cultists lived together, trained and produced sarin. Asahara was recovered successful a hidden compartment.

Apocalyptic cult

Born Chizuo Matsumoto successful 1955, Asahara founded Aum Shinrikyo successful 1984. The cult combined Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and yoga, and attracted young radical disillusioned with materialism. He taught that decease could elevate their spirits and justified sidesplitting arsenic a virtue.

Followers paid to portion Asahara’s bathwater and wore electrical caput cogwheel they believed synchronized their encephalon waves with the guru’s. He prophesized an imminent apocalypse, which lone existent believers would survive.

Asahara gathered doctors, lawyers and scientists from Japan’s apical universities arsenic his closest aides.

Using donations from followers and net from yoga classes and wellness nutrient businesses, they bought onshore and equipment. Asahara’s scientists developed and manufactured sarin, VX and different chemic and biologic weapons.

In 1989, its members killed Tsutsumi Sakamoto, a lawyer who opposed the cult, his woman and babe boy. Their transgression activities escalated aft their decision successful the 1990 parliamentary elections. A 1994 sarin onslaught successful the cardinal Japanese metropolis of Matsumoto killed 8 and injured much than 140 others.

In all, Aum killed 27 radical successful much than a twelve attacks that culminated successful the subway gassing. It was portion of a crippled by Asahara to hasten Armageddon, envisioning overthrowing the government.

Still seeking redress

Shizue Takahashi attended astir of the Aum transgression trials. She has lobbied for authorities support, winning the enactment of a instrumentality to enactment transgression victims and authorities benefits of 3 cardinal yen ($20 million) for much than 6,000 survivors and bereaved families of the Aum crimes.

The authorities has besides enacted laws banning sarin accumulation and possession, and restricted the activities of groups linked to wide killings. Police person since established nuclear, biologic and chemic weapons units and beefed up training.

Aum’s main successor, Aleph, has ignored a tribunal bid to wage 1 cardinal yen ($6.7 million) successful compensation to survivors and bereaved families. The radical has allegedly hidden billions of yen of income from yoga and spiritual seminars.

Many of the subway gassing survivors inactive endure wellness problems and trauma, according to enactment groups.

Takahashi and others past week called connected Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki to bash much to accelerate compensation by Aleph and support them nether adjacent watch.

Survivors and their supporters accidental lessons person not been sufficiently shared with the public.

Shoko Egawa, a writer and adept connected Aum crimes, says attraction connected the radical has mostly focused connected its crimes alternatively than teaching radical to enactment distant from unsafe cults. "There is inactive a batch to larn from (the Aum problems), including however they attracted followers, truthful that we tin forestall radical from getting their lives ruined by cults," Egawa said.

Takahashi precocious launched a website that compiles articles and comments by survivors, lawyers and writers, including Haruki Murakami’s 2007 nonfiction astir his 1997 publication "Underground."

Aum’s remnants

At its peak, the cult boasted much than 10,000 followers successful Japan and 30,000 successful Russia and elsewhere. Aum has disbanded, but astir 1,600 radical belonging to Aleph and 2 smaller groups successful Japan inactive signifier Asahara’s teachings, said the Public Security Intelligence Agency, which monitors the groups.

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Minoru Kariya, whose begetter was killed by Aum members successful aboriginal 1995 portion helium was trying to get his sister to discontinue the cult, said authorities request to bash overmuch much to tackle the threat.

"It’s scary that they inactive beryllium and are operating arsenic organizations and recruiting caller followers," helium said.