The Tokyo Subway Sarin Attacks 1995 – Part 2

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Jan 16, 2026

A detailed retelling of a coordinated sarin attack on Tokyo commuter trains during rush hour. Descriptions of how the attackers prepared, deployed crude dispersal methods, and boarded trains. Scenes of immediate chaos on platforms and hospitals overwhelmed by mysterious symptoms. Coverage of police raids, the arrest of the cult leader, survivor interviews, trials, and lasting impacts on victims and families.

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INSIGHT

Cult's Shift From Religion To Terror

Aum Shinrikyo evolved from a fringe religious group to a well-funded organization with political ambitions and violent plans.
Asahara shifted from seeking influence to plotting Armageddon when politics failed.

INSIGHT

Sarin Became The Cult's Central Weapon

Sarin was Aum's most feared weapon and the cult invested heavily in chemical production.
The Matsumoto attack marked Aum's transition into a terrorist organization.

ANECDOTE

Rush-Made Sarin And Packaging

Saichi Endo scrambled to produce sarin in under 48 hours and made an impure, brown batch.
Endo packaged 11 plastic pouches of roughly 20 ounces each for the subway attack.

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As the Japanese police prepare for a raid on the Aum Shinrikyo compound, cult leader Shoko Asahara launches a desperate chemical weapons attack in downtown Tokyo. During the height of Monday morning rush hour, Aum terrorists target five commuter trains with sarin gas, killing 13 people and scarring the psyche of an entire nation. In the aftermath, survivors struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives and adapt to new realities.

SOURCES:

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Murphy, P. (2014, June 21). Matsumoto: Aum’s sarin guinea pig. The Japan Times.

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“Woman bedridden since AUM cult’s 1995 sarin gas attack on Tokyo subway dies at 56.” The Mainichi (English), 20 Mar. 2020,

“30 Years After Sarin Attack — Lessons Learned / Brother Kept Diary For Sister Caught in Sarin Attack, Chronicling Her 25-Year Struggle With Illness” The Japan News, 19 Mar. 2025,

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