TOKYO — 1995 · Major Tragedy
The Tokyo Metro Sarin Attack
On the morning of 20 March 1995, at the height of the morning rush, sarin nerve gas was released simultaneously on five separate lines of the Tokyo subway. The attack killed 13 people and affected more than 6,000. Responsibility was claimed by a cult called Aum Shinrikyo, which believed the world would end in 1995; a raid on the group's facility near Mount Fuji uncovered infrastructure for producing chemical weapons. The group was found to be responsible for a total of 27 deaths. After lengthy trials, 13 members of the group were sentenced to death and executed in 2018. The attack fundamentally reshaped Japan's emergency-response systems and its legislation governing the oversight of religious organizations.
- Date
- 1995
- Place
- Kasumigaseki, Japan, Tokyo, JP
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 35.6739, 139.7516 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 1995The sarin attack on the subway took place (March 20)
- 1995The cult's facility was raided and its leader arrested
- 2004-2011Trials concluded, with 13 sentenced to death
- 2018The executions were carried out
Sources
- Court Records
- Official Report
- Contemporary Press Archive
Source grade C: no linked source yet; details rely on the general press archive. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.