Preserving memories of the 1995 Tokyo sarin gas attack
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As the 30th anniversary of the worst indiscriminate terrorist attack in Japan’s history approaches, efforts to ensure the incident and the lessons learned from it will not fade from memory have picked up.
On March 20, 1995, members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released toxic sarin nerve gas inside packed rush-hour subway trains on three lines in central Tokyo. The terror attack killed 14 people and injured about 6,300 others.
In 2018, Aum’s leader Asahara Shoko, whose real name is Matsumoto Chizuo, and 12 others were executed for the subway attack, as well as other heinous crimes.
Still those who lived through the incident have expressed concern that the attack is fading from public memory, especially among younger generations. As a result, Japan’s Public Security Intelligence Agency launched a digital archive last month featuring photos and videos of the attack, as well as testimonials from family members of the victims.
The Tokyo Fire Department also held an exhibition for its staff that featured records and testimonies of its response to the attack.
According to the department, 1,364 personnel were engaged in rescue operations, of which 135 who rushed to the scene suffered damage from sarin gas.
The exhibition showed how the attack altered the department’s rescue operations by featuring records of the equipment used during the attack.
Thirty years ago, rescue personnel struggled with being able to see due to their protective gear’s narrow visibility. In response, hazmat suits used today feature a wider visor.
In addition, contemporary equipment is able to measure 150,000 kinds of chemical substances. At the time, personnel were unable to identify the substance used in the attack as sarin.
A former member of the department and a disaster prevention instructor Fukase Hachiro, who was engaged in the rescue operations, also gave a lecture to active personnel.
He recalled of the day, “There was no fire, no smoke, nothing looked different, but people were lying on the ground.”
Content retrieved from: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/3864/.
