Terrorist Use of Biological Weapons - Deadly Cultures: Biological Weapons Since 1945 - page 295

Time Place Modality

April 1990 Throughout Japan Plot to disseminate botulinum

toxin from balloons and ships;
not implemented because of
inability to culture the
organism in time

May 1990
(several attempts)

US naval base at
Yokosuka, the Imperial
Palace, headquaters of
Soka Gakkai Institute,
and governmental
buildings in
Kasumigaseki

Disseminated putative botulinum
toxin

July 1990 Unidentified water

purification plant

Tried to contaminate water
supply with putative
botulinum toxin; discovered
by police guarding the plant,
and substance confiscated

May 1993 Wedding parade of

Prince Hironomiya

Plot to disseminate B. anthracis;
not implemented because of
inability to culture the
organism in time

Disseminated large volume of B.
anthracis culture from rooftop;
strain was avirulent, spore
concentration low, and droplet
size large

End of June-early
July 1993

Aum's new headquarters
building in Kameido,
Tokyo

Disseminated B. anthracis from
customized vehicles; strain was
avirulent, and sprayer nozzle
clogged

Summer of 1993 Around the Kanagawa

prefectural office,
Imperial Palace, etc.

November 1993 Headquarters of Soka

Gakkai Institute, Tokyo

Disseminated putative botulinum
toxin from customized vehicle;
sprayer nozzle clogged

June 1994 Plan to equip a helicopter

purchased from Russia with
sprayers for biological agents;
not implemented

March 1995 Kasumigaseki Station,

Tokyo

Disseminated putative botulinum
toxin from three sprayers
hidden in customized attaché
cases

Source: Masaaki Sugishima, “Biocrimes in Japan,” in A Comprehensive Study on Bioterrorism, ed.
Sugishima (Legal Research Institute of Asahi University, 2003), p. 98.