Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche
by Haruki Murakami, Alfred Birnbaum, Philip Gabriel
Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami, Alfred Birnbaum, Philip Gabriel holds a well received rating of 3.89 out of 5, based on 8.4K reader ratings. First published in 1997. The book spans 309 pages.
About Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche
It was a clear spring day, Monday, March 20, 1995, when five members of the religious cult Aum Shinrikyo conducted chemical warfare on the Tokyo subway system using sarin, a poison gas twenty-six times as deadly as cyanide. The unthinkable had happened, a major urban transit system had become the target of a terrorist attack. In an attempt to discover why, Haruki Murakami, internationally acclaimed author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and arguably Japan’s most important contemporary novelist, talked to the people who lived through the catastrophe—from a Subway Authority employee with survivor guilt, to a fashion salesman with more venom for the media than for the perpetrators, to a young cult member who vehemently condemns the attack though he has not quit Aum. Through these and many other voices, Murakami exposes intriguing aspects of the Japanese psyche. And as he discerns the fundamental issues leading to the attack, we achieve a clear vision of an event that could occur anytime, anywhere. Hauntingly compelling and inescapably important, Underground is a powerful work of journalistic literature from one of the world’s most perceptive writers.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Haruki Murakami, Alfred Birnbaum, Philip Gabriel |
| Published | 1997 |
| Pages | 309 |
| Genres | Non-Fiction, History, Religion & Spirituality, Mystery & Thriller |
| Average Rating | 3.89 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 8,405 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche?
Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche is categorized as Non-Fiction, History, Religion & Spirituality, Mystery & Thriller. Its primary genre classification is Non-Fiction.
Is Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche worth reading?
Based on 8.4K reader ratings, Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche has an average score of 3.89 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received."
How many pages is Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche?
Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche has 309 pages.
Who wrote Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche?
Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche was written by Haruki Murakami, Alfred Birnbaum, Philip Gabriel. It was first published in 1997.
What is the ISBN for Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche?
The ISBN-13 for Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche is 9780099461100.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
