Underground

Underground - Haruki Murakami

“Underground” is Haruki Murakami’s nonfiction work examining the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack through the voices of those who lived through it. The book is based on extensive interviews with survivors, witnesses, and members of the Aum Shinrikyō cult responsible for the attack. Murakami presents their accounts with empathy and precision, allowing readers to understand the physical and psychological impact of the tragedy on ordinary commuters. In the second part of the book, he speaks with former cult members, exploring their motivations and the social conditions that made the group appealing to some individuals. Through these contrasting perspectives, Murakami offers a broader reflection on modern Japanese society, alienation, responsibility, and the search for meaning. “Underground” stands out as a thoughtful, human-centered investigation that goes beyond reporting events, seeking instead to understand the people behind them and the society in which they occurred.