Worst terrorist attack in Japan
Shoko Asahara was sentenced to death on February 27, 2004 for the terrorist act committed nine years earlier. In March 1995, the Aum Shinrikyo sect that he led released sarin gas in the Tokyo subway, causing fatalities. Fourteen passengers died in the most cited figures, and thousands suffered a range of health effects from serious to mild. Terrorist incidents in Japan have been rare, and when they occurred they often stemmed from rationalized motives: for instance, in 1974 the far left East Asian Armed Anti-Japanese Front attacked Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to protest weapons supplied to the United States during the Vietnam War.
The Aum Shinrikyo attack on civilians cannot be explained by sound logic because it originated in a totalitarian cult mindset. The group fused elements of Buddhist doctrine, Chinese philosophy, Hindu ideas, European mysticism, and Western science fiction. Members were convinced by guru Asahara of special powers and insisted he could take on humanity’s sins. He claimed extrasensory perception, levitation, and the ability to grant spiritual power.
Before the assault, Aum Shinrikyo ran typical sectarian activities that included heavy surveillance of followers, coercive financial demands, and violence against those who sought to leave. When police planned a raid to curb its crimes, Asahara ordered an attack on the subway in a bid to provoke a collapse of order that would advance the sects apocalyptic beliefs and its ambitions within Japan.
The court sentenced thirteen sect leaders to death for these crimes. Japan remains one of the few developed nations that imposes capital punishment in such cases.
He wasn’t talking to anyone but he was sane
The execution happened in a notably austere manner: by hanging. During the Meiji era Japan modernized rapidly, and the transition included reforms in the penal system. An advisor to the French government once suggested an approach that would emphasize humane treatment by handing over the body to relatives rather than public display.
To sentence a criminal to death for murder, Japanese courts consider nine criteria. These include the severity and motive of the crime, how the murder was carried out, the number of victims, the impact on relatives, and the overall effect on society. Age, personal history, and any signs of remorse are weighed as well. In Asahara’s case, he had killed multiple innocent people for no discernible reason and showed little sign of repentance, making execution likely. The court also found him guilty of additional acts, including the murder of a lawyer working on a lawsuit against the sect.
Following the verdict, Asahara was placed in Tokyo Detention Center. Conditions there are far stricter than typical prisons: solitary confinement, limited physical activity, prohibition of television, and a cap on the number of books. Visits are possible but tightly controlled, and Asahara remained largely silent during and after the trial. The defense argued for insanity, but the court did not accept those claims and adhered to the established procedures.
During the trial the former guru began to suffer incontinence and wore adult diapers. The authorities placed him among other prisoners before the execution.
Three death buttons
Japan conducts executions without advance notice to the public and with no witnesses, which contrasts with practices in the United States. On July 6, 2018, after breakfast, Asahara was summoned to a meeting room. A prison officer explained that the execution would proceed that day and offered to provide psychological support or a statement. He did not respond, and the guard pressed about the fate of his body after execution. He remained silent until the guard asked about a statement for his daughter. He finally spoke only of his fourth daughter, indicating a wish to designate her as the recipient of the ashes.
Shortly thereafter, Asahara was moved to the execution chamber. The room resembles a small, bright space with glass walls and a hatch in the floor. He was placed on the hatch, restrained, and a hood placed over his head while a noose was set around his neck. His knees were tied to prevent movement as the hatch opened.
The sentence was carried out by three prison officers, their names withheld. They simultaneously pressed three buttons in an adjacent room to open the hatch. Only one button would release the mechanism, and the officers did not know which one would trigger the procedure.
After the act, the body was removed and cremated, but the fate of the ashes became the subject of litigation. The second daughter sought custody, arguing that the fourth daughter showed no attachment to the sect and would scatter the guru’s ashes at sea, while the fourth daughter had a different stance. The lawyers noted that Asahara was no longer of sound mind before death and thus the choice of recipient was dubious; the government feared turning the ashes into objects of worship for former followers.
As of 2022, the ashes remained with the authorities, stored in prison.