Photo/Illutration Aum Shinrikyo cult members released sarin gas from a parking lot, shown in the foreground, in a residential area of Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, on June 27, 1994. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

June 27 marks the 30th anniversary of the first sarin gas attack perpetrated by the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture.

A colleague of mine, who joined The Asahi Shimbun in spring 1994 and was assigned to the Nagano Bureau, recalls that day.

Responding to an urgent report of deaths from gas poisoning in a residential area of Matsumoto, he rushed to the site.

His eyes were drawn to the curious sight of dead fish in a drainage ditch. "What the ... ?" he muttered.

According to newspapers from the time, an article with the headline "Mystery takes sudden turn: Neighbor involved" ran two days later. 

Members of the Japanese media were already starting to treat Yoshiyuki Kono, the first person to report the casualties, as the perpetrator.

My colleague admits that he, too, was among the horde of reporters who hung around Kono's home in what eventually proved to be one of the ugliest stains in the history of the news media.

"Everything about me was totally condemned," Kono later said.

Why did that happen?

An article that ran one year later examining the Matsumoto sarin case made observations that I can relate to even today.

Reporters depended excessively on information provided by investigative authorities. They were also under pressure to keep churning out news copy and beat their competitors.

They were warned of the danger of jumping to conclusions, but the tide of overheated reporting could not be stopped.

Researching and chasing a story is like peeping through a tiny hole to try to see the world outside. The reporter struggles to portray what they have seen, but that may be only a very small part of the whole—something that is easy to forget.

Never prejudge, humbly bow to facts. That's one precept to always bear in mind.

However, one can vouch for this and still forget over time to bow one's head in humility.

In his book "Inochi Aru Kagiri" (Until the end of life), Kono observes: "The news media as a whole has not made any use of the lesson at all (concerning the Matsumoto sarin case). The regret (which reporters felt over this case) is not being conveyed to posterity."

These are words I must most gravely hold onto as a member of the media. That is why I wrote this column, so that I will not forget, and Kono's message will be relayed.

—The Asahi Shimbun, June 27

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.