Continuing Gas Attacks in Japan Are Bringing Fear to Citizens’ Daily Lives : Terrorism: Reminders of the dangers are in the streets, rail stations, stores and businesses.

Makiko Inoue, the mother of two elementary school children, never dreamed that a government-run housing complex for families of civil servants like her husband might be threatened by terrorists.

Now, however, the Inoues are among the 1,000 families taking turns, every night and again at dawn, conducting patrols of the complex’s water tanks. The residents inspect the chambers housing the tanks to confirm that seals have not been broken--thus ensuring that the complex’s water supply has not been poisoned.

No one has explicitly threatened the Inoues’ housing complex, but when the government managers asked the residents to cooperate, no one complained, Inoue said.

Japan, a nation that used to appear set apart from the anxieties of the rest of the world, has come face to face with mass terrorism. Fear is becoming part of daily life.

Unknown terrorists have launched poison gas attacks on masses of people: in Tokyo’s subways on March 20, killing 12 people and afflicting 5,500, and at Yokohama Railway Station on Wednesday, sickening more than 600.

On Friday night, another report of “foul odors” on the third floor of Yokohama’s Vivre 21 shopping center sent 25 people rushing to hospitals for treatment. None was seriously injured, and police and fire officials searching the shopping center could find no evidence of poison gas.

Police investigations have focused suspicion on the Aum Supreme Truth religious sect, which claims 17,000 believers in the doomsday teachings of its partially blind, bearded leader, Shoko Asahara. Police have made more than 100 arrests, but none has involved charges of committing or plotting the acts of mass terrorism.

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The continuing attacks and continuing uncertainty are beginning to wear on the nerves.

Inoue, for instance, insisted that she is not seriously worried about rumors of a poisoned water supply.

But she noted that “we can see the danger we face every day on TV,” which has been offering massive coverage of Supreme Truth.

The cult has denied any involvement in terrorism.

There are plenty of reminders of the danger.

Trash bins and wastepaper baskets have been removed from train and railway stations to deprive would-be terrorists of hiding places for chemical weapons. Even vending machines have been shut down at major stations.

Trains repeatedly broadcast announcements urging commuters to report any strange objects or any unusual actions. Cameras have been installed throughout major stations to film all passengers.

Commuter Hiroki Ran, 25, who seldom paid any attention to fellow passengers in the past, admits to “finding myself examining what’s going on around me.”

Passengers’ eyes wander up to the overhead racks, down to the floors, and to the left and right.

Reiko Iwaki, 49, a post office worker, has adopted a new strategy for riding the subways.

“I won’t sit down. I won’t sleep. And if a strange person approaches, I’ll move away,” she said.

Newspapers such as the Yomiuri Shimbun have started requiring their employees to meet visitors in the lobby and escort them into the building. The Yomiuri also installed fire doors separating hallways from stairwells, for the first time since its headquarters building opened in 1972.

In department stores, office and clerical workers have started walking the sales floors to bolster security checks, according to Naoko Mitsuo of the Yokohama Sogo department store.

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Cars are frequently stopped on the highways and inspected, apparently for terrorist weapons.

One baseball fan driving to Tokyo with license plates from Yamanashi prefecture--where a major Supreme Truth facility happens to be located--complained that he was stopped three times en route to a Giants game and almost missed the first inning.

Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama acknowledged in Parliament that “the people’s anxiety is spreading.”

And Home Affairs Minister Hiromu Nonaka promised to beef up police security at leisure sites and other places that attract big crowds so that the Japanese can enjoy the “Golden Week” of holidays, between April 29 and May 5.

Some residents of the capital area are spending less time away from home.

Takako Nawagawa of Tokyo’s Odakyu department store said the deadly gas attack in Tokyo discouraged customers from coming in.

“The psychological effect has been serious. People seem to be reluctant to go out unless it’s necessary. Our sales have been affected,” she said.

Yoshiko Hiramatsu, 40, who lives on the outskirts of Yokohama, said she used to go shopping in the city’s downtown area “just for the fun of it”--but no more.

“Since I saw police helicopters flying overhead in my residential area about a week ago, the other women and I in the neighborhood have started greeting each other by saying, ‘It’s frightening,’ instead of saying, ‘How are you?’ We tell each other we shouldn’t go out,” Hiramatsu said.

Shojin Hotta, who has operated a small bar since 1956 and also serves as chairman of the Shinjuku Restaurant and Bar Assn., said his clientele has shrunk since the Tokyo attack.

“Now, about 35% fewer customers are patronizing the shops. Bar-hopping has all but ended among patrons who still show up,” he said. “I’ve seen ups and down in this business, but I’ve never seen this much of a decrease before.”

For Fuminori Nakase, president of Soma Co., the new worries have been a boon to business. Last month, he expanded his small investigation agency into what he called a “total security company,” selling gas masks, bulletproof vests and protective chemical sprays as well as survival equipment such as waterproof blankets.

Nakase now offers a top-of-the-line Italian-made gas mask he said he imported from Israel for $550. With protective clothing and a helmet included, a complete anti-poison gas outfit costs about $3,400, he said.

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“In Japan, most people haven’t gone beyond the point of building a wall around their homes to protect themselves. But now, I find people who want to manage risks,” he said.

Nakase, however, said he has mixed emotions about succeeding in his new business.

“If I started making big money on a business like this, I don’t think I would want to stay in that kind of Japan,” he said.

Researchers Chiaki Kitada and Megumi Shimizu contributed to this story.