Japanese authorities are planning to launch a dedicated website to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Aum Shinrikyo subway sarin gas attack and raise public awareness about this tragic event.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Monday that the Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA) will unveil the special website as early as February 21. The website will feature photographs from the scene of the sarin gas attack that occurred 30 years ago.
According to the report, younger generations unaware of the event 30 years ago have joined organizations believed to be successor groups of Aum Shinrikyo. The PSIA recognized the need for the website due to this concerning trend.
Recognizing the importance of educating future generations about this incident, the PSIA has also initiated a digital archive project. This archive will include personal accounts from subway employees who witnessed the attack and testimonies from victims’ families.
A PSIA official stated, “Young people are unfamiliar with the Aum Shinrikyo cult. Through this special website, we aim to broadly disseminate information about the incident and the cult’s reality.”
On March 20, 1995, Aum Shinrikyo perpetrated a sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, resulting in 13 fatalities and over 6,000 injuries.
The cult’s leader, Shoko Asahara, and other key members involved in the attack were subsequently executed. Although the original cult has been disbanded, successor groups such as Aleph are reportedly still recruiting new members.
According to Japanese authorities, the successor organizations had 1,600 members in January. Alarmingly, over half of the recruits are teenagers or young adults in their twenties.
