On March 20th, Japan marked the 20th anniversary of the subway nerve gas (sarin) attack by members of the Aum Supreme Truth cult.
This article looks at the cult’s roots in Kumamoto. The “guru” at the center of the cult, Asahara Shoko (Matsumoto Chizuo) was born into a family of tatami mat makers in Yatsushiro City and later based the cult in Aso.
According to the article, if Kumamoto police had been able to cooperate better with other law enforcement agencies, the activities of the cult might have been significantly curtailed before they were able to commit major acts of terrorism.
— start quote — There had been a chance to cut deep into the cult before the incident when the group was charged by Kumamoto prefectural police with violation of the National Land Utilization Law in 1990. But the police in Kumamoto and other prefectures concerned conducted investigations of the cult separately due to conflicts over jurisdiction, which made it impossible for law enforcement nationwide to establish a system under which they could work together to deal with the cult. — end quote —
