Tokyo subway sarin attack prompts removal of public trash bins

On 20 March 1995, members of the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo released sarin nerve gas on several Tokyo subway lines during the morning rush hour. Thirteen people died and thousands more were injured, making it one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism in modern Japanese history.

The attack shocked a country that had considered itself very safe. Authorities and railway operators began to worry that unattended containers in public places could be used to hide dangerous substances or devices. In the following years, many rubbish bins were removed from stations and some streets, or replaced with transparent or more tightly controlled designs.

The measure was meant as a security precaution, but it had a lasting effect on daily life. Public bins became rare in Japanese cities, and people got used to carrying their rubbish home with them. This history is often cited when explaining why Japan has so few public bins today, even though its streets are widely regarded as clean. It is also the background to current discussion about smart bins and robots as a possible solution.