The Kyoto District Court has sentenced the man behind the Kyoto Animation arson attack that killed 36 people to death. The 45-year-old man entered the Studio 1 building of Kyoto Animation in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan on the morning of July 18, 2019 with gasoline and set the building on fire. All victims were studio employees. At least 34 people were injured (including the attacker). The trial begins in September 2022.
Defendant Shinji Aoba claimed that the studio plagiarized his work. In 2019, his defense team claimed that he had undisclosed mental health issues. He pleaded not guilty and the defense argued he could not be held criminally responsible. Japan still maintains the practice of capital punishment and carries out about 15 executions each year. More than 100 people are currently sentenced to death.
According to CNN, the fire marks the worst mass murder in Japan since the 2001 arson attack on a building in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district that killed 44 people. This is also the first such case related to the animation industry.
Hideaki Hatta, president of Kyoto Animation, expressed that he wanted to turn the Studio 1 building into a memorial park. However, this initiative was shut down by residents and the building was demolished in April 2020. Among the victims were Yasuhiro Takemoto, Futoshi Nishiya, Tatsunari Maruko and Yoshiji Kigami.
Kyoto Animation, commonly known as KyoAni, was founded in 1985. The studio is known for fan-favorite titles such as K-On!, Free!, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Violet Evergarden, Clannad, A Silent Voice, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, etc. Following the arson attack and subsequent COVID-19 pandemic, the release of the film Violet Evergarden was delayed to July 2020. First television anime project studio after the arson attack was Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S, made by the late Yoshiji. Kigami is one of the directors.
