The Aum Shinrikyo sect was the brainchild of Chizuo Matsumoto, whose childhood aspirations apparently included leadership of Japan. In 1984 he started a small publishing house and yoga school, which gradually developed into a cult. He renamed himself Shoko Asahara ("Bright Light"), embarked on a course of cult expansion, increasingly bizarre teachings and rituals for devotees, and ultimately subversion; with the aim of achieving supremacy for his followers in Japan.
On March 20, 1995, during morning rush hour, ten highly placed members boarded five trains at different stations. At predetermined points, and time, the ten members punctured bags containing sarin wrapped in newspaper with umbrellas as they left their trains. The Kasumigaseki Station suffered the worst of the attack. The time and place appear to have been deliberately selected, since Kasumigaseki station is located under many government offices and the National Police Agency's headquarters. The incident was timed to coincide with rush hour, when trains were packed with commuters. Twelve people were killed and up to 6,000 injured. …
