Asahara'a AUM Cult

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            CHRONOLOGY OF THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE DOOMSDAY CULT: AUM

November 1 - Asahara OKs Court-appointed Lawyers

Shoko Asahara met with one of his court-appointed lawyers and agreed to be defended by him. According to the lawyer, Asahara asked him "Please take my case." It is still not clear who will serve as chief council. The Tokyo District Court sentenced Tatsuya Toyama, an Aum Supreme Truth follower and former sergeant in the Ground Self- Defense Force, to one year in prison with three years probation for breaking into a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plant.

November 2 - Aum Appeals Dissoultion Order Aum appealed the dissolution order. While the court has agreed to review the documents of the case, it is uncertain whether their will be hearings.

According to police, Satoru Hirata has confessed to making the cyanide-gas releasing devices found in restrooms at subway stations in July. Police also said that video cameras showed a woman resembling Sayuri Matsumoto, who was arrested with Hirata, passing near the restroom.

November 10 - Tsuchiya Remains Silent in Opening Trial

Masami Tsuchiya has refused to either admit or deny charges of hiding of suspects and illegal production of thiopental. The defense maintains that Tsuchida is innocent until the state proves him guilty and that he is not under obligation to assist the state in proving his guilt.

October 2 - Professor Suspended for "Pro-Aum" Remarks

Japan Women's University officially decided to suspend literature professor Hiromi Shimada for six moths because of his criticism of the police investigation of Aum and "pro-Aum" remarks. The board said that his public comments had damaged the school's reputation and affected student morale.

October 4 - Asahara Begins Confessions

According to NHK and Aum lawyers Asahara has "begun to confess" to the myriad of charges against him. Sect lawyers and members say the confessions are being coerced. The police claim that Asahara has not begun confessing and that he is not being coerced. Asahara has been in special police detention for over four months. The law states that he can only be held for 20 days without a formal charge.

October 5 - Lawyer: Asahara Forced to Confess

According to Shoji Yokoyama, Asahara's lawyer, Asahara has been forced to confess to the charges against him. According to the lawyer, Asahara said "I have done an awful thing. I was told by investigators they could arrange things so that the Anti-subversives Law would not be used on Aum. They also said that they could arrange things so that the disbandment order under the Religious Corporations Law would not be issued. They said they would do these things if I admitted involvement in the series of crimes.

"It would pain me more than loosing my life if all the sect's doctrines -- on which I have devoted my life -- were to die out. So I signed the investigative report at the end of September."

Police say that Asahara has remained silent.

October 6 - Aum Disbandment Hearings Take 12 Minutes

The closed-doors hearings at Tokyo District Court on the disbandment of Aum took only 12 minutes. Although the hearings were closed to both the public and Aum members, the court did allow three of the lawyers representing Aum to appear. The court is expected to render a decision shortly.

October 7 - Fumihiro Joyu Arrested

Police arrested the last remaining senior Aum member today on charges of "inciting others to make false statements during court hearings." Authorities charge that Joyu instructed Aum members to lie during a 1992 court case. Aum is expected to be thrown into chaos as the last of it's leaders has been arrested.

October 11 - Foul Odor Actually Anthrax

According to MPD sources, a foul odor detected around an Aum compound in Kameido, Tokyo was an Aum attempt to spray the area with anthrax bacillus. The police allege that several attempts to spay the area with anthrax were made, but that Aum never actually succeeded in producing the bacteria. Police released no other details. [ No anthrax bacillus has ever been found at Aum compounds and according to biologists, spaying it in such a manner would be suicidal. -- TR ]

Katsuhiko Nakano and Tesuya Kibe ware sentenced to a year in jail and three years probation on trespassing charges resulting from "entering into spot reserved for others" in their office's parking garage. Takeshi Hayashi has pleaded guilty to forging and using a counterfeit driver's license.

October 18 - Aoyama Admits Libel

Former Aum lawyer Toshinobu Aoyama admitted in court that he had filed a lawsuit against a fertilizer company "carelessly and without positive proof." Although Aoyama and police claim that he was acting on the request of Asahara, and Japanese law stipulates that a lawyer cannot not be charged with liable for filing a suit at the request of a client, police maintain that Aoyama spoke of the case at a press conference, therefor the libel charge is valid. Aoyama also admitted to the charge of conspiring to harbor a fugitive.

October 20 - Prosecutors Make Sarin Case

The trail of 22 Aum members charged with preparation to commit murder for their role in constructing Aum's chemical plant began today. According to prosecutors, Aum had been operating the factory for nearly a year, and Asahara planned to produce 70 tons of sarin at a rate of two tons daily. [ No sarin has ever been found at the Aum compounds, no have storage facilities for this amount of toxic chemical. -- TR ] Prosecutors also alleged that the cult made a failed sarin attack on another religious group. According to the prosecutors, the sprayer malfunctions filling the Aum van with sarin fumes. Inhaling these fumes cause one of the Aum members to become "seriously ill."

October 22 - Services Held or Sakamotos

Memorial services for the Sakamotos, who were allegedly killed by Aum members, were held in the Yokohama Arena. The service included a performance by the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and attracted about 26,000 people including former prime minister Kaifu and numerous television personalities. Newspapers made no mention of who organized or paid for the affair.

October 23 - Asahara to Stand Trial With or Without Lawyer

Tokyo District Court issued a formal statement that Asahara's trial will begin as scheduled on Thursday despite the hospitalization of his only lawyer, Shoji Yokoyama. Yokoyama was only slightly injured in a car accident Sunday, but his doctor ordered him to remain in the hospital for two weeks due to a neck sprain. According to Japanese law, anyone facing a charge with a possible sentence of more than three years in jail must be represented by an attorney.

October 24 - Nakagawa Admits Sarin Production

Aum doctor Tomomasa Nakagawa testified at his trail in Tokyo district court "There is no doubt that sarin was synthesized, but I didn't know where the gas would be released." Nakagawa also admitted his involvement in the murder of fellow cultist Kotaro Ochida.

October 25 - Asahara Fires Lawyer, Postpones Hearings

The day before his trial was scheduled to begin, Shoko Asahara fired his attorney for unnamed "personal reasons." The trial will most likely begin early next year. The court released a statement saying that the action was regrettable as it had sought a speedy conclusion to the trail.

October 26 - Asahara Not Allowed to Select Own Lawyer

In a completely unprecedented move, Tokyo District Court issued a statement saying that it would appoint a team of five or six lawyers for Asahara's defense, and that Asahara would not be permitted to select his own defense team. The court said that since Asahara is now in police detention and not permitted to meet anyone it would be too difficult for him to find another lawyer.

Kenji Nozaki, the attorney representing Asahara's wife, Tomoko Matsumoto said that Asahara had fired his lawyer on his advice, and that it had not been a delaying tactic. Nozaki expressed doubt over Yokoyama competence and noted that he was also removed from Matsumoto's defense team.

October 27 - Asahara Reappoints Lawyer

Tokyo District Court appointed state attorneys to handle Asahara's defense only a day after they announced that Asahara would not be allowed to hire another lawyer. Several hours latter, Asahara rehired Yokoyama. Court spokesmen and dozens of legal experts claimed that Asahara's move was "designed to disrupt court proceedings. "Lawyer Kazuo Kawakami said the reappointment was "just part of Asahara's cheap strategy."

The court stated that even though Yokoyama has been reappointed by Asahara, the court appointed attorneys will be handling the case and that they cannot be dismissed by Asahara.

October 29 - Police: Aum Produced Several Mail Bombs

Police that not only was Aum responsible the mail bomb that injured Mayor Aoisima's secretary, but produced several other bombs. No traces of these bombs have been found.

Joyu was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit perjury and than immediately re-arrested on charges of falsifying documents in a 1990 land deal.

October 30 - Aum Ordered Disbanded

The Tokyo District Court, applying Japan's new anti-sarin law retroactively, issued a disbandment order to Aum Supreme Truth. The court decision was based on Aum's alleged preparations for mass-producing sarin. At the hearing, Aum representatives appealed to the court to allow chemical weapons experts to examine the plant to determine if sarin could have been produced there. The request was denied. [It seems Aum has been trying to get permission for this for months. The police have confiscated the entire building and refuse to admit outside experts. -- TR] The court will now appoint liquidators to dispose of Aum assets.

Aum spokesmen had no comment on the decision, but it is expected that they will appeal.

October 31 - Sentences Handed Down

Nagoya District Court sentenced Kazuko Miyakozawa to a year in prison without probation for trespassing in an attempt to allegedly abduct a cult member who had defected. Although the kidnapping was not actually attempted, and the ex-member's house was not entered, Miyakozawa and four accomplices monitored the ex- members movements with walkie-talkies and binoculars for 11 days. In refusing probation, presiding Judge Hirosuke Aburadasaid that since she had not renounced Aum, she was likely to commit similar crimes although the cult has been ordered disbanded. Three of her accomplices, who have renounced the cult, have all been given suspended sentences.

Tokyo District Court sentenced Naoko Yamamoto, an unrepentant Aum member to 2 1/2-years in prison for forging drivers licenses.

September 11 - Anti-subversives Law to be Applied

If applied, the Anti-subversives Law would ban Aum members from associating with one another and make the religion and membership in it illegal. [Under the vague law, this web-site could also be considered illegal -- TR ] Japanese Justice Minister Tomoharu Tazawa said that "When conditions to apply the law are met, we must apply it. " He did not elaborate.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Koken is planning to submit a bill that would amend the religious corporations law, giving the government more authority to regulate religious organizations.

September 12 - Sentences Reduced for Renouncing Aum

In the recent Aum trials, those who have publicly renounced their belief in Aum Shinri Kyo have been receiving much lighter sentences than those that do not. Satoshi Tamura received a five moth suspended sentence for installing radios in three cars without the proper license to do so. The official ruling read in part "The accused came to have doubts about the cult after he was arrested and has quit the cult. The court can allow for these circumstances." The court rejected the defense request that he only be fined saying "The accused became a cult member of his own will."

The Chiba board of Education has granted the parents and teachers association's request that Asahara's daughters be barred from attending public school. A school board spokesman said "Although we basically cannot intervene in children's rights to receive education, this is an extraordinary case since they are the daughters of Asahara. We can't easily accept them into the schools."

September 14 - Second Trespassing Trial Begins

Tetsya Kibe, Aum's "Defense Minister" pleaded not guilty today to the charge of illegally entering a parking lot with the intent to conceal rifle parts. His attorney based the plea on the fact that Kibe maintained an office in the building and had every right to be in the parking lot, which was open at the time of his arrest. Furthermore, unlike pistol parts, possession of rifle parts is not illegal under Japanese law.

September 15 - Aum Libel Suit Dismissed

Aum's libel suit against political cartoonist Yoshinori Kobayashi was dropped today on grounds that Aum has been absent from the proceedings since their attorney was arrested on May 3, and they have not filed the proper papers to request a rescheduling.

September 16 - Government Seizes Aum's Land Holdings

The village government of Kamikuishiki has seized the lad owed by Aum in the Fujigamine district because Aum failed to make a 2,000,000 yen (US$19,800) tax payment. The village has said that they will allow Aum members to remain on the property for the time being, but have not announced long term plans.

Aum sources said that village officials have not been allowing them to pay the tax and have refused to issue certificates of value for any of Aum's holdings. Aum members have been calling on the village government on a weekly basis, but have been refused audience. Police sources revealed that an unnamed former Aum member has given police a detailed account of how the bodies of the Sakamotos were buried. This story apparently confirms the confession made earlier by Hayakawa.

September 20 - Third Trespassing Trial Begins

Uichi Nakatani pleaded guilty to the charges of trespassing for entering into a parking space reserved for others. He has not been sentenced, but sentencing is expected to be light. Nakatani has renounced Aum in both an affidavit signed while in police custody and publicly in the courtroom

September 22 - "A Billion Yen for Two Rifles"

The MPD announced that Aum Shinri Kyo had spent over a billion yen (US$10 million) on weapons manufacturing, but only managed to produce two non-functional prototypes. The police claim to have seized massive quantities of gun parts, but these have not been displayed publicly, nor used as evidence at any of the trials so far.

Two Aum members Nobuki Ami and Masaru Jingu both received suspended prison sentences for installing radios in Aum cars without the proper license to do so. Yasushi Nagai pleased guilty to breaking into a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plant.

Wed. September 27 - Aum Follower Arrested in Police Chief Shooting

Police arrested Mitsuo Sunaoshi on suspicion of making a threatening phone call to Tokyo TV 90 minutes after the head of the NPD was shot. Police said they traced the voice from information given by Aum members under detention.

August 22 - More Confessions on Sakamoto Case

Police sources revealed that an unnamed former Aum member has given police a detailed account of how the bodies of the Sakamotos were buried. This story apparently confirms the confession made earlier by Hayakawa.

August 24 - Aum Disbandment Hearings Scheduled

Tokyo District Court scheduled disbandment hearings of Aum Shinri Kyo to begin at 1:30 PM on October 6. A new law banning the production of sarin gas is being applied retroactively as the basis for the hearings since the police have been unwilling to over evidence of Aum's other crimes. Authorities stated that Aum representatives will be allowed to present their case at these hearings but were vague on whether any of the Aum leadership now in detention will be allowed to speak. The hearings will be conducted in secret.

August 25 - Asahara Denied Visit from Attorney

Hiroshi Yamamoto, the lawyer who received a formal reprimand from the Osaka Bar Association for relaying a taped message from Asahara to his followers had his request for a meeting with Asahara denied by police. Although authorities conceded that relaying the message broke no laws and that Asahara has a constitutional right to meet with an attorney, the prosecutors office maintained that Yamamoto's "real purpose" was to "act as a messenger, not as legal council."

Tokyo District Court dismissed Yamamoto's complaint saying that "It would be inappropriate for Yamamoto to meet with Asahara in view of his close ties to the cult." The justices cited neither law nor precedent in their decision.

September 1 - Courts Order Aum's Bank Account Seized

Tokyo and Osaka District Courts ordered 90 million yen (US$920,000) seized from Aum's accounts. The court made the ruling at the insistence of those who have filed a lawsuit against the cult. Aum representatives were not present at the hearings.

September 4 - Aum Trials Begin

The trials of eight Aum members are scheduled to begin this week. In the first, Kumi Nebuka, a nurse who worked at an Aum hospital, was charged with helping Matsumoto evade capture. Prosecutors allege that she brought money and medical equipment to the cottage where Matsumoto was hiding. Nebuka admitted the charges, but said she was simply doing as instructed and did not originally know what the money or for what the equipment was to be used.

September 5 - Trespassing Conviction

Takayuki Oikawa, Aum's construction minister was found guilty of trespassing and given a one year suspended sentence and three years probation. Despite the light sentence, this is highly unusual for anyone to be formally tried for trespassing and his crime involved parking his car in a space not reserved for him.

Police began preparations for their search for the bodies of the Sakamotos. Over 900 officers were dispatched, the roads leading to the sites were closed off and police have barred and removed reporters and local residents from the area. It seems the search is to be conducted in secret.

Wed. September 6 - Police Find Sakamotos' Remains

Police announced that they have found bones that they believe belong to Satoko Sakamoto.

September 7 - Aum Members Arrested for Sakamotos' Murder

Although the statute of limitations on the kidnapping ran out nearly a year ago, Asahara and four other Aum Shinri Kyo members have been arrested for the murder of the Sakamoto family. In a complete reversal of all previously announced confessions, police stated that according to new confessions, Asahara meticulously planned and then ordered the abduction and killing of the Sakamotos and the disposal of their bodies.

August 3 - Police Test "Aum" Sprayer

By testing a model of the device the police suspect Aum used in the Matsumoto gassings, authorities determined that it would be possible for Aum to have released the sarin as Authorities suspect they did. In the police model, liquid sarin was stored in a container and vaporized after being dropped onto a heater. The sarin was then blow into the air by fan. Authorities suspect that such a device was mounted on a modified truck.

Although no such device has been found at the Aum compounds, police claim that their tests confirm Aum's guilt in the incident.

August 4 - Confession Gives Details of Matusmoto Attack

According to police, Satoru Hashimoto confessed to driving a customized spray car to a parking lot in Matsumoto. Over the next 20 minutes, 12 liters of sarin were released from three heated tanks. Authorities said that according to another confession, the sarin used in Matsumoto had too much isopropal alchohol added to the mix, which created hydrogen floride. Police belive this explains the white mist seen neer the scene.

August 5 - Asahara's Lawyer Faces Discipline

The Tokyo District Prosecutors Office demanded that the Yokohama Bar Association reprimand Hiroshi Yamamoto. Yamamoto delivered a taped message from Asahara to cult members. In the brief taped message, Asahara said that he was remaining silent and urged followers to continue their religious training no matter what happened to him.

While authorities admitted that Yamamoto has not broken any regulations, and that it is quite common for lawyers to relay messages for their clients, they maintain that his actions were unacceptable and potentially dangerous. Police assert that the message may actually have been a code instructing cult followers to destroy evidence.

August 10 - Prosecutors Decide not to Try Murai

The Tokyo Public Prosecutors Office announced that they have decided not to try Hideo Murai on any of the numerous charges including murder, attempted, murder, submitted by police.

Police maintain that Murai was deeply involved in the planning and execution of most of Aum's attacks, including several that occurred after his death.

Fri - August 11 - Aum Must Pay Sarin Claims

Sources inside the Labor Ministry have reported that the ministry has decided that Aum Shinri Kyo must bear the finical burden of the workers compensation payments the ministry paid out to the victims of the sarin attack. The ministry will determine the procedure for billing Aum and distributing payments as soon as the amount to be paid is determined.

[While I have no problem with Aum paying the victims, guilt has not been determined in a court of law. This decision does not hinge on the outcome of the Aum trials. It was a extra-judicial bureaucratic decision. --TR ]

Mon. August 14 - Police say Asahara is "Hinting" He Will Talk

Police sources stated that Asahara has "hinted" that he may be willing to talk. Up until now, police explained, Asahara has maintained his innocence and "refused to sign statements." Shoko Asahara has been in special police detention since May 16, although Japanese law states that no one can be detained in this manner for more than 20 days.

Wed. August 16 - Aum Produced PCP

Metropolitan Police Spokesmen announced today that several Aum members have confessed to producing PCP. Although no traces of the drug have been found, police pointed out that Aum members had books describing the production process.

Thr. August 17 - Asahara Confesses to Ordering Kidnapping

MPD sources stated that Shoko Asahara has confessed to ordering the abduction of Kiyoshi Kariya. Police also announced that three Aum members have confessed to abducting and killing the Sakamoto family and have told police where they buried the bodies. The police are planning to put a team together next month to recover the bodies.

Day 121: July 20 - Police Say Injections Killed Five

Police announced that various confessions form Aum members have led them to the conclusion that at least five followers died after receiving thiopental injections at the Kamikuishiki compound. Police suspect the bodies were cremated.

Keiji Terashima turned himself in to the authorities today. Four Aum leaders are still at large.

Day 122: July 21 - Police Say Aum Destroyed Evidence

Police sources asserted that Aum systematically destroyed evidence of their rifle production. According to authorities shortly after the police raids began Aum members melted down bullets and rifles and changed the computer programs of the equipment to produce other items. They further claim that many of the items found in the factory are actually rifle parts that have been reworked into other items.

Although police maintain that Aum had been operating a sophisticated, computer-controlled weapons factory for over a year, they have yet to find a single round of ammunition or a complete firearm. Two AK-47 rifles without clips were found. Those were originally determined to be made of tinplate, but authorities now claim that one can be fired. Contrary to normal procedure, and the fact that thousands of alleged weapons parts have been confiscated, the MPD has not publicly displayed any of the haul. They have, however, released a photograph of the rifle they claim can be fired.

Day 123: July 22 - Murai Allegedly Ordered Shinjuku Attack

Investigators claim that Hideo Murai, who was killed by a rightist on April 23, ordered and planned the failed May 5 gas attack on Shinjuku Station, and the parcel bombing of Tokyo Governor Aoshima's Office on May 16. Police are still investigating whether Murai orchestrated the failed July 4 attacks on Shinjuku and Kayabacho as well.

[ According to police, Murai planned and/or ordered just about every crime of which Aum is accused. It is, I suppose, convenient to heave a dead person on which to blame things, but suggesting that he was still making plans and giving orders after his death truly stretches credibility. -- TR]

Day 125: July 24 - Police Say Aum Planned to Make More Sarin

Authorities say that Nakagawa has confessed to ordering Aum members to bury the chemicals found in the outskirts of Nikko early this month. Police said that since many of these chemicals can be used in sarin production, Aum "obviously" buried them with the intention of making more sarin, although it seems that sarin cannot be made using only the chemicals found at the scene.

Day 129: July 28 - Nimi Confesses to Another VX Attack

Nimi has confessed to ordering a 83-year-old Tokyo man with VX nerve gas. The man apparently was sprayed at close range and was hospitalized for about six weeks. The matter was never reported to the police. [ The fatal dose of VX is only a few milligrams. -- TR ]

Day 131: July 30 - Police Confiscate Rocket Parts

Police confiscated 70 metal tubes and other metal parts they say are rocket parts from under a buried mound of scrap metal. Some of these tubes had "Air Force" or "Air Self-Defense Force" painted on them. Authorities have also reported finding what they described as "bazooka tubes" at the Aum complex. Several of the parts found can be purchased at military supply stores.

Day 111: July 10 - More Aum Arrests

Acting on a citizen tip, police arrested three Aum members. The three who were wanted in connection with the sarin attack, were found in an apartment in Saitama. Three other Aum followers were also arrested on charges of helping the fugitives evade arrest.

Day 112: July 11- Asahara's Wife Insists Innocence

Tomoko Matsumoto claimed that she had no part in the murder of an Aum member who was allegedly strangled on her husband's orders. According to Matsumoto, she was not present when the decision was made and could do nothing to stop it. She asked to be released on bail to take care of her children. The judge in the case denied the request saying that she might try to destroy evidence. [ This is a boilerplate response. There is no evidence which she could destroy in this case. -- TR ]

Day 113: July 12 - Warrants for Matsumoto Attacks Issued

Warrants for murder and attempted murder in relation to the Matsumoto sarin attack were issued for Asahara and 20 other Aum members. The warrants are based on confessions of arrested Aum members.

Day 114: July 13 - Aum Weapons Factory

Police announced that Aum had a "massive, computerized weapons factory" at its Kamikuishiki compound, and that an unnamed Aum member has confessed that Aum planned on producing 1,000 AK- 47 rifles and a million ball cartridges. To date, however, no working firearm or a single round of ammunition has been found. Authorities said that rifle production was an important part of Aum's militarization project.

Day 115: July 14 - Warrants for Rifle Production Issued

The Metropolitan Police Department obtained arrest warrants for 25 Aum members for violations of the weapons production law. Most of these people are already in police custody, and will be re- arrested shortly.

Day 116: July 15 - Over 100 Involved in Weapons Production

Police announced today that a team of 40 Aum members were involved in the mass-production of rifles and 60 more played supporting roles. Authorities believe that Aum began production in early 1994. Police exhibited a photo of one of the rifles confiscated from Aum supreme truth. Strangely, this is the first confiscated weapon or weapon-part that police have displayed publicly. In a reversal of earlier statements that the confiscated rifles contained tin-plate parts, police sources said that one of the rifles could be fired.

Day 117: July 16 - Murai to be Charged Posthumously

In a rather unprecedented move, police have sent documents to the Public Prosecutor's Office charging Hideo Murai with murder and attempted murder in connection with the Tokyo subway gassing and are now deciding whether to charge him in connection with the Matsumoto attack. Murai was stabbed to death by a rightist on April 23.

Yoshiyuki Kono, the man originally suspected of the Matsumoto gassing, decried the police reliance on confessions, pointing out that the police had coerced a confession from him, although he was innocent.

Day 118: July 17 - Asahara's Wife Indicted for Murder

Prosecutors decided to indict Tomoko Matsumoto on murder charges in relation to the death of a pharmacist who had left the sect. Although she did not participate in the killing, prosecutors assert that she did not try hard enough to stop it.

The first Aum trial began today. Takayuki Oikawa is being tried on trespassing charges because he allegedly "entered into a parking space reserved for others" in the underground parking garage of his office building. Prosecutors are demanding the maximum one -year sentence.

Day 119: July 18 - Sixth Subway Train was Targeted

On March 20, poisonous gas was released on two Hibiya Line Trains, two Maranochi Line trains, and one Chiyoda Line train. Investigators said that Aum members planned to release sarin on a second Chiyoda Line train, but not enough of the chemical had been produced.

Day 120: July 19 - Aum Linked to Senior Diet Members!

In his new book Hamako's Emergency Statement, former diet member Koichi Hamada detailed ties between Aum Shinri Kyo and senior diet members. According to Hamada, although neither one was actually a member of Aum, both Toshio Yamaguchi of the Shinshinto and Shintaro Ishihara of the LDP funneled money into Aum. Ishihara resigned his post shortly after the investigation of Aum began, but sited other reasons. Hamada says that a third diet member, who he does not name, provided Aum with introductions to high-ranking Russian officials.

Day 101: June 30 - Court Petitioned to Dissolve Aum

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office filed petitions today to have Aum disbanded on charges of possession of sarin ingredients and the production of sarin. [ Both of these activities were legal at the time they occurred -- TR] Prosecutors originally planned to seek disbandment on the grounds of member participation in the March 20th sarin attack, but changed their minds as not to interfere with the ongoing police investigation. The hearings will be held behind closed doors, and a decision is expected by early fall.

Day 102: July 1 - Land Transfers Foiled

With Aum Shinri Kyo almost certain to be disbanded, they are apparently laying the groundwork for land transfers. If the group is dissolved, all of their assets will be confiscated by the government. Cult members with power of attorney for Shoko Asahara have run into a snags. Many local governments are simply refusing to provide the legally required documents. Most local governments gave no reason for the refusals, but an official of the Kamikuishiki government said that since Asahara was under arrest , there was no way to confirm his true intentions.

Police said that Aum members have confessed to manufacturing thiopental and using as a truth serum. Investigators believe that the sect has been producing the drug since late 1994. Police were unclear as to whether any thiopental has actually been found.

Day 103: July 2 - Another Death Linked to Aum

Police say an Osaka man who died December 22 last year after falling mysteriously ill on December 12 was the victim of a Aum VX attack. An autopsy had failed to determine the cause of death, but the man's pupils had been contracted-- a symptom of VX poisoning. The man's link to Aum is not clear, but it seems that he had visited Aum's Osaka branch four or five times.

Nimi told police that Aum had attempted to kill Sokka Gakkai leader by spraying sarin. Authorities claim that the device caught fire and failed to emit the gas, but filled the vehicle with sarin instead. All those allegedly involved in the attack are still alive, but police pointed out that Nimi received "medical attention" after the failed attack.

Day 104: July 3 - Court Refuses to Return Aum Child

An ex-Aum member who has renounced the cult and moved out of the Kamikuishiki compound lost his lawsuit against a Tokyo child consultation center. Although no charges have been filed against the man, and no legal justification has been given for the holding his child, the court ruled that the child should not be returned because the Aum compound is not an appropriate place for children to grow up. [ This man no longer lives in the compound. --TR]

Police identified a Aum-registered van that crashed on June 27 last year as the vehicle used in the Matsumoto sarin attack. Police have not found the van, and say that it has probably been disassembled and destroyed.

Day 105: July 4 - Asahara's Trials Slated for October 26th

Although it was originally thought that trails would begin in July, Tokyo district court announced that Asahara's first trial is now slated for October 26th, but could be further delayed.

Hideaki Yasuda was indicted on charges of murder of Aum pharmacist Kotaro Ochida. Experts on criminal law agree that a man cannot be charged with a crime he was forced to do under threat of death. Prosecutors have said that decision should be left to the courts.

Day 106: July 5 - Asahara Indicted and Re-Arrested: Again

Shoko Asahara was indicted on charges of ordering the murder of Aum member Kotaro Ochida. He was immediately re-arrested on charges of manufacturing thiopental. [ Aside from the fact that thiopental is not illegal in Japan, this is simply a ploy to keep him in special police detention where his constitutional rights do not apply. I have given a more detailed explanation of this procedure before.-- TR ]

Tokyo commuters narrowly escaped another gas attack. A device designed to generate and release cyanide gas was found in the ladies room at Kayabacho station and another in a men's room in Shinjuku station. The devices failed to work and no one was injured.

Day 107: July 6 - Yokohama Gas Attack Solved- It's not Aum

Police arrested 29-year-old Koji Hara, and he has confessed to the April 19 gas attack at Yokohama station which injured more that 500 people. Hara has no affiliation with Aum Shinri Kyo and said that he did it "just for fun."

Day 108: July 7 - Police Find Hidden Chemicals

Acting on a confession from Aum member Tomomasa Nakagawa, police found 55 kilograms of chemicals buried on the outskirts of Nikko. The labels on the bottles indicate toxic chemicals, and they have been sent to the lab for further analysis.

Day 109: July 8 - Police: Rifle Parts Dumped into Reservoirs

Police say that Aum "Intelligence Minister" Inoue said that he ordered his subordinates to dump 8,000 rifle parts into reservoirs around the Kanto area. Police say that they plan to question Inoue further to determine the locations of the reservoirs. Police said that the parts were dumped after the police raids began.

Authorities said that Masami Tsuchiya has told them that the sarin used in the Matsumoto attack was manufactured in the chemical lab in Satian 7. The lab, however, had not been completed at that time. The Yomiuri quoted police sources as saying that "the sarin used was extremely pure, containing little solvent." [ Many chemical weapons experts doubt that the lab was ever capable of producing high-grade sarin, let alone before it was completed. -- TR ]

Day 110: July 9 - More Rifle Parts Found

Police found what appeared to be over 1,000 rifle parts in the waters behind Kusaki Dam in Gunma prefecture. Investigators gave no further descriptions of the items. Police suspect the parts were smuggled out of the Aum compound after the police raids began.

Day 96: June 25 - Aum Confessions About VX

Aum member Tomomitsu Nimi told police that Aum had used VX, a nerve gas more deadly than sarin, but more stable, to kill several Aum defectors. Police sources said that Aum made the gas at the same time and in the same laboratory in which they made sarin.

Police sources also stated that Aum had planned on using advanced laser weapons to attack the police, and had completed a "laser vehicle." Police explained that the plan was canceled when "the cult's top leaders ordered other methods of terrorism instead." Neither the vehicle, nor any laser weapons have been found.

Day 97: June 26 - Asahara's Wife Arrested

Police arrested Tomoko Matsumoto for her part in the alleged murder of Hideaki Yasuda, a cult member allegedly strangled at Asahara's order. Her arrest brings the number of arrests for this murder to nine. Matsumoto was allegedly at the scene of the crime, and though the police claim she did not take part in it, they decided to arrest her because, as the Yomiuri explained, "She, as Asahara's wife, was in a position to stop him."

Nimi now says that VX was used to kill more than 10 Aum defectors.

Day 99: June 28 - Mescaline Found at Aum Compound

Police today identified the drugs confiscated last month from Aum's Kamikuishiki compound as several kilograms of mescaline and an unnamed stimulant drug. Police said that they believe Aum synthesized it rather then extracting it from cactus plants.

Day 91: June 20 - TBS Censured for Aum Coverage

The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications has censured TBS for its coverage of the Aum Shinri Kyo investigation. The fact that TBS played the taped message made by Asahara was described as "inexcusable." In the message Asahara urged his followers to "continue their spiritual development." The Yomiuri quoted an unnamed psychiatrist as saying that broadcasting such messages is very dangerous because it could influence former Aum members who are still under "Aum's mind control techniques." TBS has been criticized several times in the past for allowing Aum members to speak without editing their comments and for not being fully supportive of the police investigation. Ministry officials say they have begun discussions with the network.

Police said that many more raids will be needed before they have all the documents needed to prove Aum's guilt in the March 20, gas attack. Although over 66,000 items have been seized, investigators have confiscated only about a third of the documents they need.

An unnamed Aum member has confessed that sect members used VX, a nerve gas many times more deadly than sarin, in an attempt to murder Hiroyuki Nagaoka, who heads an Anti-Aum group. The chemical was allegedly sprayed out of a syringe.

Day 92: June 21 - More Aum Confessions

Akira Yamagata, an Aum member, has reportedly confessed that Aum had plotted to murder opponents of the cult using sarin. Aum allegedly plotted to kill cartoonist Yoshinori Kobayasi, Soka Gakkai president Daisaku Ikeda, and Institute for Research into Human Happiness head, Ryuho Okawa.

Police sources said that Asahara has admitted to ordering the murder of an Aum follower last year.

Day 93: June 22 - More Aum Confessions (Shinjuku)

An Aum member under arrest for the Tokyo subway gassings told police that Aum was responsible for the attempted gas attack on May 5th in Shinjuku station. Police stated that an eyewitness had seen a man resembling Aum member Keiji Terashima, near the restroom in Shinjuku station the day of the attack.

Day 94: June 23 - More Aum Confessions (Sakamotos)

Police stated that Kiyohide Hayakawa "has begun to admit his involvement" in the kidnapping of the Sakamoto family, and that he "hinted Asahara ordered it." The statute of limitations on the 1989 kidnapping ran out in November of last year, but police say they will continue their investigation using other charges. They did not specify what charges would be used.

Day 95: June 24 - Matsumoto Gassing Re-examined.

Investigators have decided that last June's Matsumoto gas attack, which killed six people, took place between 9:00 and 10:00 PM. Until now the attack was believed to have occurred at around 10:45, since the first emergency call came in at 11:09PM and was quickly followed by many others. They said the time of the attack had been re-assessed because eight of the 586 victims reported having eye and throat pains between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM.

Police stated that several senior Aum members have confessed to burying the bodies of the Sakamoto family.

Day 86: June 15 - Police: Asahara Called the Shots

The Daily Yomiuri quoted police sources saying that they are convinced that Asahara gave the orders for most of the cult's alleged murders abductions and confinements. Police mentioned only one piece of evidence that lead them to this conclusion. In December of last year a cult member was abducted after he fled an Aum compound. Some time later, Asahara had sent a fax to the Osaka office declaring that individual had been permanently expelled from the cult. Police claim that shows Asahara was responsible.

Day 87: June 16 - Court Extends Asahara's Detention

The Tokyo District Court ruled that although he has already been indicted, Asahara will remain in special police detention, where most constitutional protections do not apply.

An unnamed Aum member said that Aum had intended to release botulinus bacillus using the sprayers that were found in Kasumigaseki station on March 15. He claims that the attack was not successful because he switched the bacteria with water shortly before the attack. According to this member , Inoue watched the device for several minutes believing the toxin was being released and then left the scene. No mention was made of what became of the botulinus bacillus, a gram of which can kill millions of people.

Tokyo District Court publicly criticized the Tokyo Broadcasting System for showing a news clip which included footage of Asahara telling his followers to continue their religious training and try to "achieve a higher mental state." It said that such a message could confuse former cult members and questioned whether it was actually a covert message to instruct his followers to destroy evidence.

Day 88: June 17 - Aum Tried Enriching Uranium

Police announced that Seiichi Endo confessed that Aum had mined and extracted uranium at their sheep ranch in Australia. They also said that they tried to enrich the uranium, but were unable to. Police said that this confirms Aum Shinri Kyo's suspected attempts to develop nuclear weapons. No mention was made of what happened to the uranium or the enriching equipment.

Day 89: June 18 - More Matsumoto Confessions

Police sources stated that through confessions they have determined that 20 Aum members were responsible for the Matsumoto sarin attack last year. Police said that the sarin was sprayed from a vaporizer from a moving truck.

Day 90: June 19 - Three More Aum Members Charged

Police arrested three more Aum members on charges of murder in relation to the death of an Aum follower in January. Asahara is suspected or ordering the killing.

Day 81: June 10 - Aum Member Confesses to Mail Bomb

Police announced that an unnamed high-ranking Aum member has confessed to sending the mail bomb that tore the fingers of the left hand of the secretary of Tokyo Governor Yukio Aoshima. Police said that their investigation into the bombing had not uncovered any connections to known right wing or left wing groups. They also stated that they plan to question the unnamed Aum member further to determine motive and the involvement of other members.

Day 82: June 11 - Police Still Hold Aum Children

Authorities stated that they have only been able to place 10 of the 104 children taken from various Aum compounds over the last two months. The daily Yomiuri quoted an official at one of the centers as saying "that although the children appeared to be settling down, they need more time to psychologically adjust." [ Since the day the children were removed from the compound, the police have maintained that the children were happy, playful and expressed no desire to return. From what are they settling down? --TR]

The official explained the difficulty in returning the children as "Some children cannot be returned to their parents because both parents are Aum members. In some cases parents of children, who have left the sect, [sic] are unable to claim them because they do not have jobs or because they are divorced and ... custody is still pending."

Day 83: June 12 - Asahara Faces Re-Arrest

The Yomiuri quoted an unnamed police source as saying that an unnamed Aum member has confessed that Asahara ordered and witnessed the murder of a 29-year-old member who wished to leave the cult. The body was said to be burned and the ashes scattered leaving no physical evidence.

Day 84: June 13 - Aum Member Confesses to Shinjuku Gassing

Police sources said that Aum member Toru Toyoda has confessed their involvement in the failed gas attack on Shinjuku station. Toyoda said that he made the device and fingered two other Aum members for the planning and implementation. Authorities stated that Toyoda claims the same individuals are responsible for the letter bomb apparently meant for Governor Aoshima.

Day 85: June 14 - Asahara Re-Arrested on New Charges

Police re-arrested Shoko Asahara, who has already been indicted for murder and attempted murder, for the murder of a cult follower who was allegedly strangled in his presence. [ Some commentary is required here. Before a suspect is indicted, he has few constitutional protections, and is completely at the mercy of police investigators. The investigators control the food he gets, the hours he is permitted to sleep, and with who he may speak. They can even forbid contact with his lawyer. No one but the police and the suspect are present during interrogations.

After indictment, certain constitutional rights are respected. The police no longer have complete or exclusive control over the suspect and can not prevent him from speaking to his lawyer or deprive him of food and sleep. Asahara has not confessed to anything yet, and the police want to get that confession. The solution, indict Asahara to satisfy the public and then re-arrest him on other charges so his constitutional rights still don't apply.

The Japan Times Weekly did an excellent article detailing Japanese police interrogation techniques. -- TR ]

Day 76: June 5 - Aum Made Spraying Device

According to police sources, two Aum members have confessed to making devices like the ones found on the subway five days before the sarin attack. The two stated that they made the devices about a year ago under orders from Murai. These electronic sprayers were capable of dispersing a liquid, and it is suspected that Aum planned to use them in the subway attack.

Day 77: June 6 - Asahara Indicted for Murder

Tokyo District Prosecutors indicted Aum Shinri Kyo leader Shoko Asahara and 15 other cult members on charges of murder and attempted murder. Although Asahara continues to deny the charges against him, police say that they have enough evidence from the confessions of other Aum members to indict Asahara for murder and attempted murder.

Under Japanese law, the maximum time a person can be held without being formally indicted is 23 days. That term expired today for Asahara and 19 others. Those who were not indicted today were re-arrested on other charges. [ The Japanese police can and do detain people indefinitely by changing the charge against them every 23 days. --TR]

Day 78: June 7 - Aoyama Petitions to Have Himself Disbarred

Yoshinobu Aoyama, Aum's chief lawyer and Justice Minister submitted his registration to the Osaka Bar Association. If the bar association accepts the resignation, and all indications are that they will, Aoyama will no longer be allowed to practice law. Police gave no reason for Aoyama's desire to resign, and Aoyama could not comment since police are not allowing contact with him.

Police said that they found more chemicals that could be used to make LSD, and stated that they have confiscated a massive amount of stimulant drugs from the compound. Police have not specifically stated what kinds of drugs they have found.

Day 79: June 8 - Asahara's Lawyer May be Arrested

A lawyer who visited Shoko Asahara last month and relayed a taped message to Asahara's followers may soon find himself in hot water. The tape was played at Aum's Tokyo training center, and recently turned over to the police.

On the tape Asahara reportedly said "Please work hard for your spiritual enlightenment. I would like you to become able to do so wherever you are.

"I am still refusing to talk to investigators. I want everyone to continue religious training no matter what happens."

Although it is common for lawyers to convey messages from detained suspects, prosecutors are asking the bar association to discipline the lawyer, whose name is being withheld. Although there is no law against what the lawyer did, prosecutors said that they consider the action an attempt to destroy evidence. They did not explain what evidence the attorney was suspected of destroying.

Day 80: June 9 - Aum to be Disbanded

The Cabinet formally decided to petition the court for Aum1s disbandment. The prosecutor1s office and the Tokyo Metropolitan government have already decided to seek disbandment. The request for disbandment will be made at the end of June or early July. This will be the first time since the end of W.W.II that the Japanese Government will order a religion forcibly disbanded. All assets and property will be forfeit to the government.

[ It is important to note that the trial of the Aum members will not begin until mid-July. It seems the disbandment order will come down before anything is proven in a court of law. -- TR ]

Day 71: May 31 - Police Find Weapons Cache

Acting on information obtained from questioning an unidentified "top Aum member," investigators found two AK-47 type rifles hidden inside a pillar at Aum's Kamikuishiki compound. Police said the weapons appear to be assembled by hand and made of tinplate. They are uncertain if they can be fired.

Police also announced that they found two bazookas, two grenades, cartridge cases and other ammunition inside two other pillars in the same building. They gave no details on these items, but this is the first time any firearms have been found at an Aum complex.

Day 72: June 1 - Aum Confessions Continue

Police sources stated that Tomomasa Nakagawa has confessed to injecting Kiyoshi Kariya with both "a truth serum called thiopental" and with potassium chloride. Police also said an unnamed Aum member has confessed that Aum is also responsible for last year's gas attack on Matsumoto, saying that three judges were the target, and that the attack was carried out by five or six members including two women.

In a rare public briefing, Police Chief Yukihiko Inoue stated that since March 23, police have conduced 503 raids on 280 locations and confiscated 66,000 items in their investigation of Aum. The number of arrests was not announced. [ This seems to be police policy. The number stood at 210 in late April, but no numbers have been made public since that time. --TR ]

Day 73: June 2 - Substance not LSD, Rifles Can't be Fired

The rifles found in a pillar on May 30th were incomplete and cannot be fired. Police also announced that the white crystalline powder is not LSD, but police now suspect it is phenylacetic acid, a raw material for producing stimulants. Police said that an Aum member yesterday confessed to producing the LSD and many other drugs along with sarin.

Police stated a memo written by Tetsuya Kibe shows that Aum planned to intermediate in the sale of 300 Russian T-72 tanks to China. Police did not comment on the logistics or feasibility of the alleged plan.

Day 74: June 3 - Sarin Indictments to Begin Soon

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office announced that they will begin indicting 34 Aum members on charges of both murder and attempted murder. The 34 have been classified into five groups:

1.Those who planned the subway sarin attack. 2.Those who participated in it. 3.Those who produced the sarin. 4.Those who purchased the raw materials for sarin production. 5.Those who constructed the facilities in which the gas was produced.

Of the five activities, only the first two were illegal at the time they occurred. The last three become illegal with the promulgation of Japan's new anti-sarin law on May 1.

The Yomiuri Shinbun today announced that Aum had plans to take over Japan's Self-Defense Forces. The newspapers gave no details, but mentioned that the sect had given several of its members martial arts training.

Day 75: June 4 - Confessions Implicate Aum in Matsumoto

Police announced that the confessions of various Aum members have implicated six members in last years sarin attack in Matsumoto. Police sources stated that they are set to launch an intensive probe into Aum's involvement in that case as soon as they complete their investigation into the Tokyo subway poisoning.

Day 66: May 26 - Police Say Compound is Botulin Lab

Investigators have confiscated protective clothing and materials used in culturing bacteria from Aum's Naminoson compound. Police believe that the lab has been involved in botin research and production since 1990. None of the bacteria has been found. Authorities stated that five horses kept on the compound were used in the research. These horses disappeared shortly after the police raids began in March.

Namimon has always opposed the Aum presence and have now reached an out of court settlement with the cult. All Aum members will be required to move out of the area by the end of August, and Aum will receive 920 million yen (US$10.6 million) for its local assets and compensation.

Day 67: May 27 - Police Confiscate More Chemicals

Police announced that a vehicle they seized from an Aum member contained 180 different chemicals that could be used in the production of stimulant drugs. Among the chemicals identified were sodium, chlorous acid sodium, and chlorate potassium. Although there were not enough chemicals to actually make the drugs, and no drugs were found, authorities states that this cache was further proof of Aum's manufacture and use of stimulant and psychotropic drugs. Many ex-members have reported that drugs are used in Aum's initiation rites.

Day 68: May 28 - Interrogations Continue

Police continued to release bits and pieces of statements Aum members have made under interrogation. Several members have stated that they had seen Asahara with an AK-47, which, police say, is evidence that the cult was manufacturing weapons. Police described in detail Aum's "militarization program," explaining who was in charge of firearms production and where the weapons were made, who was in charge of the chemical and biological warfare division and were the chemicals were manufactured. Police also detailed how stimulant drugs were produced at the Aum compound. Two months of daily raids, however, has failed to uncover a single firearms, chemical or biological weapons, or any drugs.

Tokyo District Court decided to begin proceedings against 10 Aum members. The defendants have been divided into three groups according to the charges against them: trespassing, harboring suspects, and confinement. [ The trespassing charge is absurd. These people were arrested in their own office parking garage for either parking or standing in a parking space not assigned to them. Furthermore, as far as I know, no one has ever been indicted for trespassing in Japan. -- TR]

Day 69: May 29 - Another Confession from Aum

Tomomasa Nakagawa, a doctor and close aid to Asahara has confessed that he helped plan the March 20th subway attack, and that Asahara was the one who made the final decision. Police explained that Nakagawa had not actually attended any of the planning sessions for the sarin attack, but since he was close to Asahara, his confession regarding Asahara's involvement is reliable.

Day 70: May 30 - LSD Found at Aum Compound?

Police found several dozen grams of a white-crystal powder hidden inside a pillar at Aum's Kamikuishiki compound during a raid to investigate Aum's alleged production of weapons. An Aum member on hand said that the substance was used in initiation rites. Police believe the substance to be LSD. If lab tests bear this out, it will be the first drugs to be discovered at an Aum facility.

Day 61: May 21 - Ex-Member Says Aum Kidnapped Sakamoto

A man who left Aum Shinri Kyo in February on 1990 has told police that Aum was responsible for the abduction of Tsutsumi Sakamoto and his family. Police are not releasing the man's name.

Day 62: May 22 - Police Seize "Proof" of Rifle Making

Police announced that a confiscated computer disk contained detailed information on purchasing metal working machines and raw materials which could be used to produce rifles. Although investigators suggested this was further proof of Aum's weapons production, they were unclear about whether the disk contained any information on actually producing weapons.

Day 63: May 23 - Asahara Originally to be Arrested for Leaving the Country

The Yomiuri Shinbun revealed that police had originally planned to use the charge of attempting to leave the country illegally to arrest Asahara. Although Asahara seems to have made no attempt to leave the country, police said that the charge would have been legitimate since they received an anonymous tip stating that he was planning on fleeing Japan. Until early May, police had not collected enough evidence to arrest Asahara in connection to the subway attack.

Under police questioning, Ikuo Hayashi stated "I presume [the subway attack] was carried out to found 'the Aum kingdom' by annihilating Kasumigaseki." Despite phases like "I suppose" and "I guess," which pepper Hayashi's statements, police sources said his testimony explains the motive for the Aum attack.

Day 64: May 24 - Member Released After Renouncing Aum

After a month in detention, police released Koichi Ishikawa after he signed a formal statement renouncing his belief in Aum Shinri Kyo's teachings and promising never again to participate in its activities.

Police announced that many of Aum's top leaders are confessing to involvement in making sarin. Those closest to Asahara, however, continue to deny any involvement. Police explained the discrepancy saying that they "were probably brainwashed before they were experienced enough to make rational judgments as members of society."

Day 65: May 25 - Aum Member Arrested for Mitsubishi Break-In

An Aum follower and member of the Ground Self-Defense forces was arrested today for breaking into a Mitsubishi plant in Hiroshima last December. Police say that he has confessed to the crime and told them that he had stolen information on weapons production. A Mitsubishi spokesman ruled this out, however, saying that the Hiroshima plant is not engaged in weapons research. It develops wrapping machines, engines, and chemical equipment.

Investigators stated that an unnamed senior member of Aum's Science and Technology Ministry has confessed to making 11 battery powered vaporizers like those found on the subway on Mach 15.

Day 51: May 11 - Sarin Residue Found on Sheep Ranch

Australian police detected methylphosphon acid, one of the compounds produced by sarin as it breaks down, on a sheep ranch at Banjawarn Station in Western Australia. The residue was found on 24 sheep carcasses which were buried at the site. The ranch was owned by Aum between July 1993 and August 1994.

Police say that Aum member Tsuchiya has confessed to making sarin since the spring of 1994, but denied that Asahara as involved. Investigators also stated that an Aum member has confessed to removing AK-47 rifles from the compound just before the police raid.

Day 52: May 12 - Police: Inoue Led Sarin Attack

Investigators believe that Aum Intelligence Minister Yoshihiri Inoue led the March 20 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system. Inoue was arrested last November in connection with a break-in at a drivers license examination office in Fuchu.

Investigators say that soil samples in Kamikuishiki show that Aum was never attacked by mustard gas, as they have claimed. They did, however, detect a chemical used in weed-killers, and suspect that Aum members merely used weed-killer to defoliate a small area to make it appear as if they had been the victim of a gas attack.

Day 53: May 13- Matsumoto Sarin Was Released in Parking Lot

Police said that the sarin which killed seven people in Matsumoto on June 28 of last year was released from a parking lot, not dumped in a fishpond as they originally suspected. They said that nerve gas was detected in the gravel recently. [Sarin decomposes in a matter of hours. -- TR ] Police said that a witness saw a suspicious station wagon leave the scene shortly after 11:00 PM, seconds before the gas attack.

Day 54: May 14 - Follower Confesses to Sarin Attack

Police said that an Aum member, who they did not identify, has confessed his involvement in the subway attack. Police quoted him as saying he had "taken a vinyl bag to the subway car that I was riding." Police announced that they have implicated Shoko Asahara in the attack, but did not elaborate, merely stating that he and the 34 top cult members were all prime suspects.

Nobuki Ami Aum's "Home Affairs Minister" was arrested for installing a radio transmitter in a car without a license. His duties at the cult included translating Asahara's writings into various foreign languages.

Day 55: May 15 - Murder Warrants for Asahara and Others Issued

Police obtained arrest warrants for Shoko Asahara and 40 other cult members in connection with the March 20 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system. Police will serve the warrants as soon as they are located, and re-arrest those already in custody on the new charges. Police said that the murder charge against Asahara is justified because he ordered to the construction of Satian No. 7 and the chemical experiments that went on there.

Police have arrested Yoshihiro Inoue, the 25-year-old chief of Aum Supreme Truth's "Intelligence Ministry." After spotting a car registered to an Aum member, police pulled it over and asked those inside for identification. Inoue and the three other passengers were then arrested on charges of interfering with police duties.

Police have intensified the checkpoints around Satian No 6. Those entering or leaving the compound are often detained for over an hour for questioning.

Day 56: May 16 - ASAHARA ARRESTED!

At 9:45 AM, police arrested Shoko Asahara at Aum's Kamikuishiki compound. Asahara did not resist. The arrest was part of today's nationwide raids on 130 Aum-related locations that began at 5:24 AM and involved 2,500 riot police. Thirteen other Aum members were also arrested.

Police removed 40 children from various Aum facilities in the Kanto area. Although the children were with their parents, showed no sign of abuse, and appeared to be in no immediate danger, they were taken, because as Health and Welfare Minister Shoichi Ide explained, "Under the present circumstances, given that we cannot predict what will happen next, we decided it is better to separate the children from their parents. We took this action in coordination with police."

Day 57: May 17 - Lawyer Refuses to Defend Asahara

Shoko Asahara met with noted civil rights lawyer Makoto Endo for 20 minutes and asked Endo to defend him, claiming that he had received a revelation from Buddha. Endo is currently defending Aum lawyer Aoyama, who has been charged with libel. Endo said he declined Asahara's request because he is not convinced that Asahara is innocent.

Day 58: May 18 - Takeshi Matsumoto Arrested

Takeshi Matsumoto, target of the nationwide manhunt which was the pretext for the original police raids on Aum, was apprehended in Tokyo. He was wanted in connection with the abduction of the head of a Tokyo notary public office. As police had suspected, his fingerprints had been surgurically removed. He was identified by his palm prints.

[ This is a bit of a mystery. The justification for the original warrant was that police had found Matsumoto's fingerprints on a car-rental document. In Japan, however, only criminals and foreigners are fingerprinted. Matsumoto has no known criminal record, so how did the police obtain the original set of prints with which to compare to those found on the document. The police have refused comment on the matter. -- TR]

Day 59: May 19 - Anti-subversives Law May be Applied Against Aum

The Public Security Investigation Agency has designated Aum Shinri Kyo as an organization subject to investigation for possible application of the Anti-subversive Activities Law. The 1952 law has never been applied, but allows the government to forbid all activities and assemblies of on organization. According to Section 2, Paragraph 1 of Article 4 of the law, acts of subversion and violence are defined as murder and other crimes supporting or opposing political causes and policies.

Seven of the Aum Supreme Truth followers on the wanted list have surrendered to police since Asahara was arrested.

Day 60: May 20- MPD Says Cult Made Own Chemical Equipment

Reversing their previous claims, the MPD announced that Aum manufactured most of its chemical equipment itself. Police had originally announced that the Aum lab contained state-of-the-art equipment, but now say it was crude and that sarin could not be mass produced because poisonous gas leaked through welding joints although they had been coated with fluorine, which supposedly stops such leaks.

Day 46: May 6 - Member Arrested for Diary Entry

Hideki Takanishi has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a handgun. Police stated that in the March 19th entry in his diary, Takanishi had written that he wanted to "shoot the gun toward the sea." Police searched two apartments registered in Takanishi's name, but have yet to find a gun. Takanishi is still being held.

Police released Kozo Fujinaga today, but immediately re-arrested him on charges of improper storage of detonators. He was originally taken into custody two weeks ago for possessing a "30cm sharp object." [ Although this object was not a knife, the media has been maddeningly vague on exactly what it was. Reports have described everything from a pointy stick to a cooking fork. -- TR]

Day 47: May 7 - Police Confiscate an Entire Building

After 46 days of continuous raids, the police announced that they will confiscate the entire Satian 7 building and all of its contents. Police suspect that this was Aum's sarin factory. Although no sarin has been found, byproducts of sarin production have been detected in this building. Police said this measure is necessary to keep Aum members from destroying evidence. No Aum members will be allowed to enter the building.

Day 48: May 8 - Police Confiscate Another Building

Police seized an Aum building in Tomizawacho on suspicion of being a firearms factory. No firearms or parts have been found at the site, but the building contained several metal-working machines that could have been used to produce weapons parts. Police said that this measure is necessary to keep Aum members from destroying evidence. No Aum members will be allowed to enter the building.

Day 49: May 9 - Police Comment on Aum Notebooks

Although the complete contents were not made public, the police revealed a few quotes from Hayakawa's and Tsuchiya's personal notebooks. Tsuchiya's notebook quoted Asahara as saying "the production of sarin is good for Aum."

Hayakawa, who was arrested in the parking garage of his office building for entering into a parking space assigned to another, has been formally indicted for trespassing. According to police, his notebook continued descriptions of several stages of sarin production, prices of various military equipment, and comments about marksmanship training he and other Aum members received in Russia.

Day 50: May 10 - Police: Matsumoto disguised as woman

Police believe that Takeshi Matsumoto had his jaws surgically restructured and is now dressing as a woman to evade arrest. Authorities also suspect that he has removed his fingerprints through plastic surgery.

Day 41: May 1 - New Sarin Law Goes Into Effect

Japan's new sarin control law went into effect today. The law bans the production, import, receipt, transfer and possession of sarin. It also prohibits the purchase or sale of raw materials used to manufacture sarin. [There are dozens of ways to make sarin, and the ingredients used are common industrial chemicals. There is no allowance for this in the new law. --TR]

Police announced that a kidnapping manual and the "penal code" used by Aum were among the documents they have confiscated.

Day 42: May 2 - Police Detect Stimulant Drugs

Police announced that they found traces of stimulant drugs in the hair and urine of Aum followers. There is considerable evidence that drugs were used in Aum's initiation rites, and police are convinced that stimulants were among them and that Asahara was directly involved.

Day 43: May 3 - Aum's Lawyer Arrested

Yoshinobu Aoyama, Aum Shinri Kyo's lawyer, was arrested on libel charges as he was consulting with a another Aum follower in police custody. The libel suit stems from a lawsuit Aum filed against a fertilizer company Aum claimed had attacked the Aum compound with sarin.

Although a lawyer cannot be charged for filing a suit, police pointed out that Aoyama distributed copies of the letter of complaint at a press conference in January. Police explained that the letter of complaint contained the name of the president of the company, and thus he was libeled.

According to a tentative police report, the same type material was used to make plastic bags found in Satian 7 and some of the plastic-laminate bags used in the subway attack. The same report said that one of the lamination machines seized by police produced items with edge patterns the same as those used in the attack.

Day 44: May 4 - Government Closes Aum Chapel

Yamanashi prefecture authorities today declared Satian 10, which serves as Aum's chapel, as an "unauthorized building" and banned its use. Although no structural defects were found, the building had been put into use before a construction completion notice had been filed with the prefecture office. Any use of the building could result in a one year jail sentence and a Y300,000 fine. Authorities said they will continue to inspect buildings and stated that they believe that completion notices have not been filed on many of them.

Day 45: May 5 - Shinjuku Escapes Gas Attack

Railway station employees found and doused a burning bag of sodium cyanide in a men's room in Shinjuku Station. The burning bag had been placed next to another plastic bag containing diluted sulfuric acid. Had the flames consumed both bags, the chemicals would have combined to make highly toxic hydrogen cyanide gas. Estimates of potential casualties ranged up to 20,000. Police announced no leads. Prime Minister Murayama said that he will demand a full investigation.

Day 36: April 26 - Aum Disbandment Hits Snag

Education Minister Yosano will have to rely on the police department to provide the information required to order Aum disbanded, and that is proving difficult. As the Yomiuri explained "Justice and police authorities have not encountered a case in which they were asked to supply investigation materials to outside agencies, and it's doubtful that they would want to." If Aum is disbanded all of its assets are forfeit to the government.

In their daily raids of Aum facilities across Japan, police arrested seven more Aum members. To date, police have arrested 10 of Aum's leaders and over 200 regular followers. No one has been arrested in connection with last month's sarin attack.

Day 37: April 27 - APB on All Aum leaders

In a completely unprecedented move, the NPA has directed every police station in the county to apprehend Aum leader Asahara Shyoko and 21 other sect leaders. No specific charges have been mentioned. Police said they will increase the frequency of random car checks and the questioning of "suspicious persons" in their effort to make progress in the case.

Three Aum members will be formally indicted on charges of trespassing for the incident that occurred on April 6th. Formal indictments on this charge are extremely rare, in fact this seems to be the first time. Investigators explained that they are in a very difficult position. Although they found rifle parts in the confiscated car, there is no law banning the possession of rifle parts, hence the formal indictment on the trespassing charge.

Day 38: April 28 - Two SDF Members Arrested

A sergeant in the Ground Self Defense Forces who is also a member of Aum was arrested today after he admitted to throwing a gasoline bomb into the sect's headquarters at the request of Aum's intelligence minister. Another sergeant and Aum follower was suspended and then immediately resigned for leaking information about SDF's preparations for the March 22 raid on the Aum compund.

Prime Minister Murayama today said that the investigation of the March 22 subway gassing is nearing its final stage. He did not elaborate, but this seems to contradict the position of the police and Home Affairs Minister Hiromu Nonaka, who today stated that as yet there is insufficient evidence to conclusively say that sarin was produced at Aum's Kamikuishiki facility.

Day 39: April 29 - Two Ex-SDF Aum Members Arrested

Police said that several high-ranking Aum members had received weapons training in Russia. Most of these people are already in police custody, but today police arrested a former SDF member who participated on these training sessions on charges of installing a radio transmitter in an Aum-owned car without a license to do so.

In a separate incident authorities arrested a Shinya Asano, the SDF member who provided Aum with information on SDF preparations, for trespassing after he scaled a fence at a driver's license examination office. The Yomiuri stated that police "suspect Aum members plotted to forge drivers licenses and use them to rent cars with the aim of abducting people."

Day 40: April 30 - NHK Employee's Home Searched

The police today searched the home of an NHK employee who has been friends with a high-ranking Aum member since high school. The employee denied being Aum follower, but police said they believed he was holding books and documents for his friend who is a member of Aum. They added that this employee had been seen at Aum-related facilities. An NHK spokesman said that the employee did not know if police had a warrant to search his home. [ That's how the report appeared in the papers. Japanese police, however, are required to show a warrant before entering the property. -- TR]

Authorities announced that the name of the man suspected of killing Murai is Hiroyuki Jo. No explanation for the confusion was given.

Police continued their nationwide raids, seizures and arrests. In one of the stranger incidents, police arrested the president of computer store for violating the Antique Dealings Law. [ I really wish I had the details for this one! I'll post them if I can find them --TR ]

Day 31: April 21 - No Protection Under the Law

In a news conference today, Tokyo governor elect Yukio Aoshima stated his support for disbanding Aum Shinri Kyo. "We need to take decisive measures, such as what was suggested by Mr. Yosano suggested, when it is made clear that the group is involved in antisocial activities." Aoshima said, "An antisocial organization does not deserve protection under the law."

[ Although "disbanded" is the term being used, it does not mean that Aum members will not be allowed to gather on their own. It refers to revoking the state's recognition of Aum as an official religion. This involves a great deal more than just loosing their tax- free status, however. It could also force the group to forfeit much of their property. I'll post more information on this as it becomes available. -- TR ]

Police added Shigeyuki Hasegawa's name to the nationwide most wanted list on suspicion of speeding on May 13 of last year.

Police said today that from the documents seized from nationwide Aum facilities and the chemical and mechanical equipment found there, that Aum has probably been producing firearms since the spring of 1994 and began experimental production of sarin around the same time. However, almost one month of raids on close to 200 Aum- related sites and over 200 arrests have not revealed sarin, a firearm, or a single round of ammunition.

[Related News]

Day 32: April 22 - Link to Subway Poisoning and Sarin at Disneyland

Police found a diethyl aniline residue inside the heat sealing device in Aum's Kamikuishiki compound. This organic solvent can be used to dissolve sarin, and is the same type that was discovered at some of the stations that were hit by the March 20th attack.

The device in question device if fully automatic and capable of measuring a liquid, inserting into a plastic bag, and then sealing it. The machine is commonly used in food packaging. Several bags similar to those used in the subway attacks were found at the compound several weeks ago.

The Baltimore Sun reported that a gas attack on Disneyland had been foiled. According to the paper, two Japanese men affiliated with Aum Shinri Kyo were arrested in Los Angeles International Airport with instructions on how to make sarin and a videotape detailing the attack. The FBI has refused comment on the case.

Day 33: April 23 - Police Retract Earlier Subway Link

Police today retracted an earlier announcement that they had detected acetanitril in the sarin residue in the subways. However, they did point out that yesterday's discovery of a diethyl aniline residue in a machine capable of making plastic bags like those found after the subway gassing provides a strong link between Aum Shinri Kyo and the attack.

[Related News]

Day 34: April 24 - Rifle Blueprints Found in Aum Car

Police announced that found blueprints for a Soviet AK rifle along with breachblocks, sights, hammers and levers in a car confiscated from a high-ranking Aum member suspected of trespassing in a parking garage on April6. The parts and plans were found hidden inside the left-rear door. [ The legitimacy of the trespassing charge remains highly questionable since one of the passengers of the car is the president of an Aum-affiliated company that has an office in the building. -- TR ]

After 33 days of continuous raids, the MPD today allowed local administrative authorities to begin searching the Aum compound in Kamikuishiki. Local authorities stated that they suspect Aum of being in violation of several local fire safety and building codes.

Day 35: April 25 - Move to Disband Aum Speeded Up

Education Minister Kaoru Yosono told reporters today that he will formally request that Aum be disbanded as soon as a key Aum member is indicted. If the court grants the petition, it will be the first time an active organization has been disbanded under the Religious Corporations Law.

The Daily Yomiuri today blasted television news coverage of the Aum investigation. The article stated that the news blitz was making the police investigation more difficult and causing confusion in Japanese society. It blasted the television media for giving Aum spokesmen air time, and "reporting Aum positions without sufficiently questioning them."

Day 26: April 16 -- Police Say Aum to Buy Tanks and Nukes

Police said that they have confiscated documents showing that Aum Shinri Kyo planned on purchasing Soviet T-72 tanks and Mig-29 fighter planes. The police also stated that the memos indicated an "interest" in nuclear weapons. Police sources did concede, however, that it is unlikely Aum would have succeeded in actually importing these items into Japan.

Today's raid also uncovered 600 small explosives used in demolition work. Police plan on finding out which cult members have licenses to handle explosives and questioning them on Aum's suspected manufacture of guns.

A memo strongly critical of an ex-cult member who was allegedly kidnapped and confined by the cult was found to have Asahara's name printed at the end of it. According to the daily Yomiuri this discovery "intensifies police suspicion that Asahara was deeply involved in the confinement of the former member."

Day 27: April 17 -- Police Find Ammo Clips

Two ammo clips for automatic rifles were found in the Kamikuishiki compound. Police said they were surprised the clips were not ones that could be used in an AK-47, the Russian assault rifle Aum is suspected of building. Police said that the clips prove that Aum made or possessed altered AK-47's. No ammunition was found.

The Daily Yomiuri quoted unnamed specialists as saying that the equipment found in the Satian No. 7 building could be used to produce 10 liters of liquid sarin at a time.

Day 28: April 18 -- Top Aum Leaders Sought

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Yoshihiro Inoue, head of Aum's "Intelligence Agency," on charges of making false statements on an attested document. Inoue is suspected of using a false name to set up an Aum affiliated company some years ago. Police say they wish to question about his possible involvement in several wiretapping cases.

Kumamoto public prosecutors asked that bail be suspended for Kiyohide Hayakawa an Aum leader who has been indicted for violation of the National Land Utilization Law, but whose whereabouts are unknown. Police claim that Aum Shinri Kyo did not complete the proper paperwork when the sect built a training center in 1990. The sect's lawyer Yoshinobu Aoyama has been indicted on the same charge.

As yet, no arrests have been made in connection to the March 20th sarin poisoning.

Day 29: April 19 -- Aum's No. 2 Man Captured

Police apprehended Kiyohide Hayakawa, Aum's second highest official, after he appeared on a TBS news program. Police have had an outstanding warrant on changes of trespassing. On April 6th Hayakawa was found at 1:00AM in the parking garage of an Asakusa building in which Aum Shinri Kyo rents an office.

Investigators revealed that in the spring of 1993, Aum began to procure machinery that could be used to manufacture automatic weapons. Thirty metal working machines were confiscated, but no firearms have been discovered, and police have not revealed what the machines have been used for over the past two years.

[ Related News ]

Day 30: April 20 -- Guilt by Association Official Policy

Japan's education minister Kaoru Yosano said that Aum should be disbanded if any one of its members are indicted in the March 20th gas attack. Yosano also said that Aum's suspected production of sarin is cause to have the sect disbanded. [The new law doesn't even go into effect until May 1,1995, and it's already being applied retroactively to Aum. -- TR] Yosano, however, does not have the authority to ask a court to disband Aum because they are under the jurisdiction of the governor of Tokyo.

Prime Minister Murayama publicly stated today that he believed that the arrests and detention of Aum leaders on minor parking and traffic violations are proper.

Police have not been able to identify the gas used in yesterday's attack in Yokohama station, nor find traces of it. From the symptoms of the victims, they suspect it was a chloric gas.

Day 21: April 11 --Aum Kids Not Allowed in Public Schools

Yamanashi Prefecture's board of education made it clear today that Aum children will not be allowed to attend public primary or middle schools. The board claimed that this was not religious discrimination because allowing these children into the schools would "influence the educational environment of local children." The village of Kamikuishikimura has long been at odds with the religious group, refusing to let them register as residents or use public toilets.

The Osaka Bar association is considering possible disciplinary action against Aum's lawyer Yoshinobu Aoyama. The basis for this action is his filing of lawsuits on behalf of Aum Supreme Truth that are viewed as having no merit.

The police arrested another Aum member on suspicion of abducting and confining her father. Arrest warrants are issued for four other members.

Day 22: April 12 -- More Arrests Made

Police arrested Tomomitsu Niimi, Aum's Home Affairs Minister on charges of confining a sect member who had tried to leave the cult. The police announced that they have about 90 Aum members under arrest and are grilling them. Most of these people have been arrested for trespassing or interfering with police duties, but other charges include traffic and parking violations, failing to have vehicle inspection papers, violations of building codes, violation of the Firearms and Swords Law, and confinement. The police have made no arrests on charges relating to either the March 20th gassings or the kidnapping of Takeshi Matsumoto, which was the pretense given for the first of the massive police raids.

Day 23: April 13 -- Any Law Necessary

Police say that they will apply any law necessary to investigate the Aum group. This was born out as police continued to arrest Aum members for traffic and parking violations. The police use these arrests to confiscate the vehicles and search the residences of those arrested. Another member was arrested for not having filed the necessary paperwork for a greenhouse he built several years ago.

Police arrested Kiyohide Nakada, an ex-yakuza boss and current Aum executive on suspicion of blackmail after he appeared an a TV Asahi program. Nakada allegedly demanded several hundred thousand yen in compensation from an unidentified Nagoya man after a business deal between them went bad.

Police say they may bring wiretapping charges against Aum Shinri Kyo. The complaints were originally filed in September 1994, but no action has been taken at this point.

Day 24: April 14 -- Police Take the Children

The police launched their largest series of raids to date. Over 5,000 officers raided 120 locations throughout Japan. However, police have yet to find any sarin or evidence directly linking Aum to the March 20th subway attack.

The police took 53 of the 101 children living in the Kamikuishikimura compound into protective custody. Authorities provided no explanation of why only 53 were taken or how they were selected. An Aum source stated "They seemed to just grab whichever children were close by, and when the bus was full, they took them away."

[ Most of the sundry justifications they gave made some sense, but never quite added up. The police claimed that the children were malnourished but, no doctors were present, the children were not examined, and the police made no attempt to determine which children, if any, were actually suffering for malnutrition. Any why were half the children left behind?

Another justification given was that some of the children in the facility were actually children of those who had left the cult. However, the police seem to have made no attempt to identify any of the children, and many of them were screaming for their mothers who the police were holding back as they took the children away. The police cited no legal reason for taking the children-- TR ]

The police stated that they will return the children after they can confirm that the parents are living in the compound. They have given no time frame for this nor have they explained the procedure.

Day 25: April 15 -- Police Will Keep the Children

The police have determined that eight of the 53 children they took from the Kamikuishikimura Aum facility were suffering from malnutrition or other ailments. These eight were hospitalized. The police today changed their position of the return of the children saying that even if their parents are identified, the authorities will not return any of the children until they can be "absolutely certain they will be well cared for." Since most of the children are in good health, it is unclear exactly what the police mean by this. [ It seems that Aum believers have little hope of seeing their children anytime soon, as police are not even permitting them to visit the children. -- TR ]

The Foreign and Justice Ministries are debating revoking the passports of all top Aum officials. Japanese law states that the passports of those convicted of a crime punishable by two or more years in jail or those against whom the police have arrest warrant can have their passports revoked. Most Aum leaders do not fall into either category, but a special exception may be made for them.

Day16: April 6 -- "Trespassing" in Their Own Office

Three Aum members were arrested for trespassing shortly after 1:00 AM this morning when they parked their car in the parking garage of a building in which Aum rented an office. Police found ten 30 - 40 cm long steel pipes in and around the car. Police suspect that these tubes may be gun barrels. Items that appear to be triggers were also found in the car. The police then used the trespassing charge to impound the car and search their office. Police confiscated several address books and computer disks.

One of the computer disks found in an car confiscated last month when the driver was arrested for "interfering with police duties" contained several chemical equations. Among others, the equations for sodium fluoride, phosphorus trichloride and isopropyl alcohol were on the disk. Police pointed out that these three chemicals are used in the manufacture of sarin. They did state however, that no equations or information directly related to sarin production were found.

Day 17: April 7 -- Police Find Proof of Sarin

Investigators discovered traces of methylphosphon acid monoisopropyl in the ventilation ducts of the Satian No. 7 building in Aum's Kamikuishiki compound. Police claim that since this chemical can only be created by decomposing sarin, it proves that sarin was present inside the building at one time. No arrests were made on this since possession and production of sarin are not illegal under Japanese law.

Police searched an Aum-run hospital in Nakano, but reported finding nothing unusual. However, officials still believe that this hospital played a role in the alleged confinement of an ex-Aum member.

Day 18: April 8 -- Raids and Arrests Continue in Earnest

In raids police still maintain are part of an ongoing kidnapping investigation, police seized over 25 tons of chemicals from a chemical company owned by a follower of Aum Shinri Kyo. In other raids, police seized machine tools that they said could be used to produce gun parts. They also confiscated "metal pipes that could have be used to manufacture rifle barrels and a yellowish metal that could have been used to cover the tips of bullets." Based on these findings, police have now obtained a warrant to make arrests for violations of the arms manufacturing law. No guns have been found.

Shinichiro Koshikawa was arrested for refusing to answer police questions when he was stopped by police near a Japanese military installation. He is being charged with "interference with police duties." Police said that they are eager to find out why Koshikawa was near the GSDF facility.

Aum doctor Ikuo Hayashi was arrested in Ishikawa prefecture on suspicion of riding a stolen bicycle when police determined that the bicycle he was riding was not properly registered. [ On two occasions I have been detained for the same thing. -- TR] A few hours later the charge was changed to illegal confinement for which police have had a warrant outstanding.

The police have made over 70 arrests to date. So far, none of them have been related to the subway gas attack or the kidnapping of the notary public police claim to be investigating.

Day 19: April 9 -- Police Seek Heat-Sealing Equipment

Police said that the 11 plastic bags used in the subway raid were not intravenous drip bags after all, but plastic sheets folded in half and then heat sealed on three sides. They announced that a raid would be conducted to determine if Aum has equipment capable of heat sealing plastic. Police also raided 10 Aum properties on various charges. Methylphospon acid monoisopropyl was detected in the in the Saitan No. 7 building. Investigators claimed this as proof that sarin once existed in the building since this chemical can only be created when sarin breaks down.

Day 20: April 10 -- Police Find Heat-Sealing Equipment

Investigators found a machine capable of heat-sealing plastic. The police said that it was possible to make plastic pouches similar to the ones used in the attack , and that they would confiscate the equipment to see if they could make identical pouches with it.

One of the floppy disks confiscated contained records of chemical experiments police say coincide with known methods of producing sarin.

Day 11: April 1 - Police Claim Evidence of Bio-weapons

Police found around 300 books on bio-chemistry, incubators, and an electron-microscope in two buildings in the Aum compound. Some of these books explained the cultivation of botulin and other virulent bacteria. No botulin or similar bacteria were found, but police stated that based on the evidence they found, they believe that Aum was engaged in research to make biological weapons.

The NPA decided to send a delegation to Russia to gather information on sect activities there.

Day 12: April 2 - Police Begin New Raids

Police today began raids on a 4,000 square meter building that they suspect is Aum's largest science laboratory in Tomizawa. Twenty Five kilometers to the southwest, police continued dismantling walls in the Kamikuishiki compound.

Day 13: April 3 -- Aum Children Ordered to School

The Education Ministry today ordered Aum parents to start sending their children to school or be charged under the School Education Law. At least 26 of the children at the Yamanashi compound have been truant for between 12 and 66 months. Aum representatives claimed that children regularly attend schools in the compound.

Prime Minister Murayama urged a review of Japan's Religious Corporation Law.

Day 14: April 4 -- Police to Finally Investigate Abductions

The police said they will begin an investigation of the kidnapping of a 22-year-old woman that occurred in 1991. After escaping from the Aum compound, this woman boarded a train to leave the area. However, she was attacked and dragged from the station by five men who were punching and kicking her. The men pushed her into a car and then drove toward the Aum compound. Police gave no explanation of why they are only now beginning an investigation.

There have been several similar incidents. In the fall of 1994 an escapee was abducted in front of witnesses who said that three men wearing Aum's headgear had forced her into a car which was then seen driving into the Aum compound. Police took no action at that time.

Day 15: April 5 -- Police Raid Aum's Naha branch

Okinawa prefectural police raided Aum Supreme Truth's Naha branch. Officers say they were searching for evidence related to the arrest of an Aum member on charges of "obstructing the execution of official duties." The woman was arrested when she failed to give a satisfactory explanation of why she placed a cardboard box containing two passports, publicity flyers and correspondence into a coin locker.

Investigators think that sarin was placed at two separate spots in Matsumoto, pointing out that leaves on a tree near the judges' dormitory were withered in much the same manner as the leaves in the garden where the police originally thought the sarin was released.

Day 6: March 27 - Member Reports Burial at Compound

An unnamed member of Aum has told police that he saw another sect member bury a body in the group's compound in Yamanashi. A police search turned up no trace of the alleged grave. Police sources said that this member was one of the 50 people found unconscious or too weak to support themselves in one of the buildings in the Kamikuishiki compound. Police said the man was too weak to provide details of the burial.

Day 7: March 28 - Violation of Stimulant Control Law

Police announced an investigation into Aum's possible violations of the Stimulant Control Law. Police believe that illegal stimulants were used in the sect's initiation rites. The Yomiuri quoted one member who had left the facility as saying "I was given an intravenous injection and fell asleep a few minutes later. I had multi-colored dreams and woke up seven or eight hours later." [ There were a dozen or so similar quotes. None of the Japanese media pointed out that most people do not pass out after being given a stimulant. --TR ]

Day 8: March 29 - Nationwide Search Begins

Police announced that they now have the names of all Aum executives involved in the Aum "Science and Technology Department" and will begin a nationwide search for them. No warrants have yet been issued.

The police announced that the car confiscated in the Mach 23rd arrest contained a diagram for a chemical plant and several optical and floppy disks. The police have still not released the man's identity.

Day 9: March 30 - NPA Chief Shot

Takaji Kunimatsu, the head of the National Police Agency, was shot at around 8:30 AM in front of his apartment building. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he is in critical condition. A gunman, who appeared to be in his thirties and around 180cm tall, shot five or six times and struck Kunimatsu four times. He then escaped on a bicycle. No group has claimed responsibility. Aum Shinri Kyo was quickly accused by the press and issued a statement denying any involvement.

Day 10: March 31 - Military Production Method Suspected

The Yomiuri Shinbun quoted an unnamed chemical weapons experts as saying chemical byproducts found at the compound indicate that Aum was producing large amounts of sarin at a time. "The method (discovered by the police) is probably the most common form of producing sarin in mass for military purposes."

Police announced that a total of 11 plastic pouches containing traces of sarin were found on the subway after last week's attack. Police believe that the 200cc pouches are the kind used by hospitals for blood transfusions and IV drips. Police believe that a medical worker is among those responsible for the attack.

Day 1: March 22 -- The First Searches and Seizures

After obtaining an arrest warrant for Takeshi Matsumoto on suspicion of kidnapping Kiyoshi Kariya, the head of the Meguro Notary Public Office, 2500 police officers raided 25 Aum facilities throughout Japan. They met with little resistance.

Investigating officers confiscated 1000's of gallons of chemicals and about $4 million in cash and gold. None of this property belonged to Matsumoto nor had any apparent links to the kidnapping. The police steadfastly maintained that they were investigating a kidnapping and not the subway gas attack. However, as Chief Takashi Kakimi put it "We will conduct investigations bearing possible links [to the subway gassing] in mind." Most foreign news wires questioned the legality of the raids, but the domestic press remained silent on the matter. Aum's lawyer formally protested the raids.

Day 2: March 23 -- Police Expand Their Actions

A man police did not identify was arrested for a traffic violation while driving a car registered to Aum Shinri Kyo. The car was impounded and the driver held for questioning. The police announced that they have received 110 criminal complains about the Aum group, and that 10 of them can "established as criminal cases." Some of these complaints date back several years.

Day 3: March 24 -- "Aum Shinri Kyo Should be Dissolved"

Education Minister Kaoru Yosano today said that Aum Shinri Kyo should be forcibly disbanded if it is determined that the sect "departed from usual religious activities." Although the Japanese constitution guarantees the freedom of religion, the Religious Corporation Law gives the government the authority to order a religion disbanded.

Police announced that they have found in Kamikuishiki all the ingredients needed to produce sarin. Newspapers claimed it was enough to kill 4.2 million to 10 million people. All of the chemicals confiscated appear to have been procured legally, and no sarin has yet been found.

Aum filed a Y30 million lawsuit against the police for the damage caused by the raids.

Day 4: March 25 -- The Gulf War Connection?

Police continued to remove chemicals from the Kamikuishiki facility in their ongoing kidnapping investigation. Investigators pointed out that sarin was largely unknown to the public until the 1991 Gulf War, and thus it is highly suspicious that Aum began buying large amounts of land right after the gulf war.

Police intensified their hunt for a man they believe may have planted the sarin gas. Witnesses saw this man place a "suspicious object" on the floor. Another man shouted "that man is a criminal" and began chasing him. Both men succumbed to the gas and passed out. Police feel confident that they will locate this individual as he was undoubtedly hospitalized. [ As of July 22nd, the police have not mentioned this person again. -- TR]

Day 5: March 26 - Aum Compounds Raided on New Charges

Police have now obtained warrants to search Aum facilities on charges of preparation for murder. Oddly, the warrants specified neither those who were suspected of the crime nor those who were the alleged targets. Up until this point, most of the raids have been carried out on the pretext of a kidnapping investigation, or on minor charges.

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