On the morning of March 20, 1995, a terrorist group used unconventional tactics to attack a civilian population in a clandestine attempt to overthrow a world superpower. Both the radical group's method and goal appeared out of character with what the world had previously seen from extremists, but an eye-opening result for many governments is a self-reflection that we as a society were not prepare yourself for the evils that lie in wait. Using John Parachini's risk assessment perspective on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) weapons of mass destruction, a government can become proactive and have the ability to plan, prepare, and respond when a specific event occurs on its territory. The terrorist group's attempted agenda did not materialize due to its inability, but it highlighted the Japanese government's inability to identify an active terrorist group operating within its borders and a huge disappointment in not having successfully responded to its citizens in the midst of the crisis. attack. The 1995 Tokyo subway attacks in Japan were perpetrated by the religious group calling itself Aum Shinrikyo, meaning Supreme Truth, in an attempt to destroy the Japanese government leaving it empty to assume leadership of the country (Parachini, 2003) . Aum Shinrikyo leader Shoko Asahara envisioned that the planet was about to enter a Third World War in which superweapons such as nuclear and chemical weapons would be fought as opposed to the use of the standardized weapons of guns and bombs. The Aum Shinrikyo network at its peak had a following of 30,000 people spread across Japan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Australia. Australian intelligence reported in 1994 that a raid on a rural ranch... middle of paper... we may be allowed to carry out this mission but it is the end of any belief Parachini guarantees a government is committed to save the lives of its citizens. The horrific events of March 20, 1995 will forever haunt the nation of Japan, just as September 11, 2001 is an eternal moment for Americans. Many similarities can be found between both attacks as they were aimed at destabilizing their respective governments. Both attempts failed and have encouraged and empowered each country to become proactive in dealing with terrorist organizations and to understand how to respond when this happens again. By understanding risk assessments that include the full capabilities of a nation's enemy, foreign and domestic, and hardening those vulnerabilities along with policies, with teeth, we as a society are taking corrective measures to confront the state's real adversaries..