In 1995, members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released sarin gas into crowded Tokyo subways, killing 12 and injuring hundreds. The attack had a profound impact on Japanese society and drew international attention. The cult had been linked to previous chemical attacks and had been involved in extensive biological and chemical weapons research. The legal system, police, and emergency services were heavily criticized for their response. Victims suffered long-lasting nervous system and psychological problems.
The 1995 Tokyo gas attack was one of the most serious terrorist events in Japanese history. In a nation that is relatively crime-free, members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released sarin, a nerve agent, into crowded subways during rush hour, killing 12 and injuring hundreds more. The Tokyo gas attack had a profound impact on Japanese society and drew international attention to Japan and its culture.
On March 20, 1995, five members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult entered the Chiyoda, Marunouchi and Hibiya subway lines in Tokyo. Drivers waited outside at designated stations to pick up the men. The men carried sarin bags wrapped in newspapers, along with umbrellas with which to pierce the bags. They boarded extremely crowded trains during the peak Monday morning rush hour and repeatedly punctured the bags to expose liquid sarin to the air. It quickly vaporized into a gas format, poisoning the passengers on the train.
The Metro Authority did not immediately put the trains out of service, even though numerous passengers began to feel ill. Witnesses to the Tokyo gas attack said several subway stations resembled battlefields, with gas victims lying in the streets and sidewalks. Several subway employees exposed themselves to the gas when they got into cars to clean up wet newspapers left behind. Once the Metro Authority realized what was happening, the affected trains were removed from service.
Emergency services were quickly overwhelmed by victims of the Tokyo gas attack, many of whom were driven in when ambulances were unavailable. Many hospitals didn’t realize they were receiving sarin poisoning victims, and even after awareness spread that the gas was the culprit, hospitals weren’t sure how to treat it. Most of the victims experienced vision problems and headaches, while others suffered more extensive damage to their nervous systems. Hundreds of people have suffered from long-lasting nervous system and psychological problems.
Aum Shinrikyo had been linked to previous chemical attacks, including an earlier sarin attack. Several cult members were arrested, tried and sentenced to death or life imprisonment. While the group has not been outlawed in Japan, the cult’s protected religious status has been removed, and investigations revealed that Aum had been involved in extensive biological and chemical weapons research, causing worldwide concern.
Within Japanese society, the Tokyo gas attack was an extremely serious event. More than five years after the Tokyo gas attack, many victims interviewed showed symptoms of PTSD. Japanese society in general was severely shaken by the Tokyo gas attack, an unprecedented crime in Japanese history. The legal system, police and emergency services were all heavily criticized in the wake of the Tokyo gas attack, as many Japanese citizens felt that the actions taken during and after the attack were not enough.
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