KYOTO, Japan – A Japanese man has been sentenced to death for an arson attack on an animation studio that resulted in the deaths of 36 people in 2019. Shinji Aoba, who suffered severe burns in the fire and spent 10 months recovering in a hospital, was found guilty of murder and other crimes. His defense claimed he was mentally unfit to be held criminally responsible, but the court dismissed their argument.
The deadly fire at Kyoto Animation was the country’s deadliest since 2001, claiming the lives of many young artists who died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Aoba had burst into the studio, shouting “die!” as he poured petrol around the building. The horrific attack took place as more than 70 people were in the three-story studio, with several sustaining severe burns and injuries.
According to Judge Keisuke Masuda, Aoba’s motive for the attack was revenge, as he believed the studio had plagiarized novels he had submitted as part of a company contest, an allegation that the animation studio denies. Aoba, who was unemployed and facing financial difficulties, had also plotted a separate attack on a train station north of Tokyo a month before targeting the studio.
The judge emphasized the indescribable pain the 36 victims endured due to the attack that turned the studio into a living hell. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described the incident as “too appalling for words,” reflecting the level of shock and horror that it brought to the country. Kyoto Animation, known as KyoAni, is an animation and comic book production studio founded in 1981, recognized for its stories featuring high school girls and popular anime series like Lucky Star, K-On!, and Haruhi Suzumiya.