Episode 17: Japanese Sarin Cult
On 20 March 1995, the members of Aum Shinrikyo cult released sarin(a poisonous substance even deadlier than Cyanide) on several lines of the Tokyo Metro in 5 coordinated attacks. This attack, referred to as the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway or as the Subway Sarin Incident (Chikatetsu Sarin Jiken?), was responsible for killing thirteen people, severely injuring fifty and causing temporary vision problems for nearly a thousand others. The attack was directed against trains passing through Kasumigaseki and Nagatachō, home to the Japanese government and remains Japan's biggest act of Domestic Terrorism since World War II.
Aum Shinrikyo (also known as Aleph) is a Japanese religious movement. The group was founded by Shoko Asahara in 1984. The name "Aum Shinrikyo" (Ōmu Shinrikyō?) derives from the Sanskrit syllable Aum (which represents the universe), followed by Shinrikyo, roughly meaning "religion of Truth". In English "Aum Shinrikyo" is usually translated as "Supreme Truth." In January 2000, the organization changed its name to Aleph in reference to the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and Phoenician alphabets. It changed its logo as well.
The Sarin gas attack, was and remains the most serious attack to occur in Japan since the end of World War II.
Read more about this topic: International Terrorism Since 1945
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