TOKYO: Japan marked the 30th anniversary on Thursday of the sarin gas attack on Tokyo’s subway that killed more than a dozen people and injured more than 5,800. A small group of Tokyo subway workers observed a moment of silence at an annual ceremony at Kasumigaseki station in the heart of the capital’s government district, one of several areas targeted in the 1995 attack. Victims and experts warn that the cult behind the coordinated attack remains active and is recruiting young people.

Shizue Takahashi, 78, whose then 50-year-old husband was among those killed, offered flowers at the Kasumigaseki station where he worked. “When I come here, I clearly recall that day, and I am filled with sadness,” said Takahashi, who has become a tireless campaigner against the Aum Shinrikyo cult that carried out the attack. “My life really wasn’t like this. It is frustrating to think that,” she said.

On March 20, 1995, five members of the Aum cult dropped bags of Nazi-developed sarin nerve agent inside morning commuter trains, piercing the pouches with sharpened umbrella tips before fleeing. The trains drove on, trapping passengers inside with the deadly fumes.

Passengers streamed out of stations once the trains stopped, vomiting and struggling to breathe, with emergency workers providing care by the side of the road. The attack killed 13 people, while a 14th victim died in 2020 after suffering severe brain damage in the attack.

More than 5,800 others were injured, many of whom are still suffering from vision problems, fatigue and psychological trauma. The cult’s wild-haired, nearly blind leader Shoko Asahara was executed in 2018, along with 12 disciples, for the attack and other violent crimes.

Asahara, whose real name was Chizuo Matsumoto, preached that the apocalypse was coming and that the murders could elevate souls to a higher realm. Yuji Nakamura, a lawyer who has also helped the cult’s victims, said many survivors still suffer health problems and called on the government to offer more assistance. “I hope the government will become more proactive in offering medical support,” he said. Aum has been disbanded but its dead leader is still worshipped by an estimated 1,600 members of successor groups.

Experts warn that the groups are reaching young recruits in secret, both in person and through social media and messaging apps where they are also spreading posts saying that Aum’s crimes were misportrayed. Kenji Utsunomiya, a lawyer who has also helped the victims, said the government must take away the cult’s assets and shut it down for good. “The fact that a group like this is allowed to continue operating is dangerous to Japanese society,” he said. — AFP