The children of the Aum doomsday cult
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March 20 marked the 30th anniversary of the worst terror attack in Japan’s history. While the crimes of the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult have been widely analyzed, at least 100 children who lived with the group received little help. NHK spoke with a man who grew up in the cult to see how its actions haunt his life even now.
Aum Shinrikyo made international headlines in March 1995 when it staged a chemical attack on Tokyo’s subway system.
The group released the deadly sarin nerve agent inside five train carriages during the morning rush hour.
The result was catastrophic — 14 people lost their lives, with around 6,300 injured.
Cult leader Asahara Shoko was executed alongside 12 others in 2018 for the attack and other crimes.
At the time of the incident, Aum had over 11,000 followers, some accompanied by their children. They did not escape indoctrination.
The minors were separated from their parents and made to live in their own groups. They were also prevented from going to school.
Kenichi, a pseudonym, was taken to the Aum center by his mother when he was in elementary school, eventually living there for five years.
Content retrieved from: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/3902/.
