Tomomitsu Niimi

Tomomitsu Niimi (新実 智光, Niimi Tomomitsu, born 1964) is a former Aum Shinrikyo member indicted for participation in the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway and a number of other crimes. He was Aum's "minister of internal affairs".

Background

Judge Yujiro Nakatani said that his Aum-related crimes began in 1989 with the strangulation killing of Shuji Taguchi, who had attempted to flee from the cult. He also strangled Tsutsumi Sakamoto and Tatsuhiko, his 1-year-old son the same year.

Tokyo subway sarin attack

Before the Tokyo subway gas attack, Asahara wanted to try the sarin gas on humans. He chose his rival, Daisaku Ikeda, the leader of Soka Gakkai, one of Japan's most popular "new religions." Asahara directed his men to rig a spraying device on a suitable vehicle at one of the nights when Ikeda was supposed to speak in public. All was going well until the device sprung a leak, splashing liquid sarin onto Tomomitsu Niimi, Asahara's security chief. Fortunately for Niimi, Kiyohide Hayakawa was present and quickly administered an antidote in time to prevent Niimi's nervous system from shutting down.