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

TOKYO — Thirty years on from the fatal sarin nerve gas attack in Tokyo’s subway network, survivors and families who lost loved ones are still seeking justice.

Thirteen people were killed and thousands were sickened when cult members released sarin nerve gas in the capital’s subway trains on March 20, 1995. The attack remains one of the most shocking atrocities in Japan, a country known for its low crime rates.

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

But 1,600 former members still operate under renamed groups and have ignored an order to pay damages to survivors and bereaved families.

Shizue Takahashi lost her husband, a deputy station master, in the attack. The couple was just starting to enjoy time to themselves after raising three children when tragedy struck.

“My life is still being ruined by Aum and its successor groups,” said Takahashi, 78. “We need to carry on and not let the memories fade.”

People gasped for air and collapsed

At 8 a.m. during the morning rush, five cult members got on separate train cars on three subway lines converging at Kasumigaseki, Japan’s government center, each dropping bags of sarin on the train floors. They punctured the bags with umbrellas, releasing the gas inside the train cars.

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

Kazumasa Takahashi didn’t know the puddle he was cleaning on the subway car floor was sarin. He collapsed as he removed a bag — a sacrifice some survivors say saved lives — and never woke up.

The attack sickened more than 6,000. A 14th victim died in 2020 after battling severe after-effects.

The subway gassing happened after a botched police investigation failed to link the cult to earlier crimes, says Yuji Nakamura, a lawyer for the survivors and the bereaved families. “It could have been prevented,” he said.

Two days after the gassing, Tokyo police, carrying a caged canary to detect poison, raided Aum’s headquarters near Mount Fuji, where the cultists lived together, trained and produced sarin.