The rise, development and decline of Aum Shinrikyo, the group which did the deadliest attack on Japanese soil after the WWII, is probably one of the strangest things in the history of the country. However, Japan, has other interesting events in his history such as well: From bringing the western culture by Emperor Meiji and admiring that while sticking to ancient culture of Japan to the surprise attack on the USA and occupation of different countries in WWII.
I don't know when exactly I got familiar with this group but I think it was before my immigration. It must be a surprise to many that when I was growing up there was only one TV channel and there was not much on! There was one hour, if I remember correctly, show for kids which consisted of some domestic and some foreign cartoons. There was, I think, once a week a movie and they were mostly censored old American movies or censored Japanese ones, mostly Akira Kurosaw's! So I can say that his movies mostly occupied my mind. I remember that we were fighting with a couple of my classmates in grade 7 or 8, using imaginary Samurai swords! My closest friend in those years with whom I had the most Samurai fun(!) was killed as a volunteer during the Iran-Iraq War but that is beyond the point. All I'm saying is that is all we knew about the Japanese beside they are very technologically advanced and I never though visiting the country one day. We all knew Japan by big names such as Sony and tradenames such as Walkman®. We never knew about the history of what the Japanese did in the Pacific during the WWII or Aum Shinrikyo, later when we grew up.
Then I read and saw a couple of documentaries about what happen in Mar. of 1995 in Tokyo subway system. I have been to a few other big cities but nothing like Tokyo, before. I've got lost a couple of times so far and had it not been because of Google Maps which at times misleads you instead of guiding(!) and the kind and helpful Japan Transit people, I would have lost many more times! I was quite surprised to see how a blind man who lived in a small Shibuya apartment, not too far away from the hotel I'm staying, and started as a Yoga and meditation teacher could be responsible for such a deadly attack in one of the busiest transit systems of the word. So I decided to see the stations.
The attacks happened in a few stations near the Japan legislature. The legislature, also called Japanese Diet is not too far from Imperial Palace, so I walked there after my tour. The building is surrounded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police members but not such a tight security. Of course you cannot go in but I walk by the walls and was let to take a picture from the outside. Then from there I went to Nagatacho station, one of the stations that where attacked. I don't know if that was the time or something else because the station was not busy and no one but a few ordinary people and some from the assembly were walking through. I didn't see any plaque or anything like that. Perhaps it's somewhere else or maybe the Japanese have a different tradition but releasing a deadly gas in a busy time in such a confided area would be catastrophic and it was.
Then I read and saw a couple of documentaries about what happen in Mar. of 1995 in Tokyo subway system. I have been to a few other big cities but nothing like Tokyo, before. I've got lost a couple of times so far and had it not been because of Google Maps which at times misleads you instead of guiding(!) and the kind and helpful Japan Transit people, I would have lost many more times! I was quite surprised to see how a blind man who lived in a small Shibuya apartment, not too far away from the hotel I'm staying, and started as a Yoga and meditation teacher could be responsible for such a deadly attack in one of the busiest transit systems of the word. So I decided to see the stations.
The attacks happened in a few stations near the Japan legislature. The legislature, also called Japanese Diet is not too far from Imperial Palace, so I walked there after my tour. The building is surrounded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police members but not such a tight security. Of course you cannot go in but I walk by the walls and was let to take a picture from the outside. Then from there I went to Nagatacho station, one of the stations that where attacked. I don't know if that was the time or something else because the station was not busy and no one but a few ordinary people and some from the assembly were walking through. I didn't see any plaque or anything like that. Perhaps it's somewhere else or maybe the Japanese have a different tradition but releasing a deadly gas in a busy time in such a confided area would be catastrophic and it was.
(Photo: nagatacho subway station is located at the west side of Japanese Diet building)
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