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30 Years After Tokyo Sarin Attack, Survivors Warn of Ongoing Threat from Cult Successors

Victims of the 1995 subway attack continue to seek justice and support as Aum Shinrikyo's ideology persists through active successor groups.

FILE - Aum Shinrikyo members look out from a window to observe the fourth-day of a police raid operation at No. 6 Satian, one of the doomsday cult's communes near Mount Fuji in Kamikuishiki, west of Tokyo, March 25, 1995. (AP Photo/Hiroshi Otabe, File)
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A subway sign, center top, is seen at the Kodenmacho station, that was affected by a deadly sarin nerve gas attack 30 years ago, in Tokyo, as a passenger gets out of its exit Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
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Overview

  • The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack killed 13 people, injured over 5,800, and left survivors facing long-term health and psychological struggles.
  • Aum Shinrikyo's leader, Shoko Asahara, and 12 disciples were executed in 2018, but successor groups with 1,600 members remain active in Japan.
  • These groups, including Aleph, continue to recruit members using social media and messaging apps while evading court-ordered compensation to victims.
  • Survivors and families, led by advocates like Shizue Takahashi, call for increased government action to monitor and restrict cult activities.
  • Experts emphasize the need to educate the public on the dangers of cults to prevent future recruitment and ideological harm.