Japan sentences arsonist to death for 2019 anime studio attack

A Japanese court sentenced a man to death for carrying out an arson attack on an anime studio in Kyoto

A man in Japan was given the death penalty by a Japanese court on Thursday for committing a shocking arson attack on an anime studio in Kyoto, resulting in the deaths of 36 people and severe injuries to over 30 others. The Kyoto District Court, after a break, declared the defendant, Shinji Aoba, mentally fit to face punishment for his actions and subsequently announced his sentence. 

Aoba forcibly entered Kyoto Animation’s No. 1 studio on July 18, 2019, and set it ablaze, causing widespread shock in Japan and prompting an outpouring of grief from anime enthusiasts globally. Prosecutors claimed that his motive was revenge, as he believed the company had plagiarized novels he had submitted for a competition. 

At the time of the attack, Aoba, aged 45, suffered severe burns and spent 10 months in the hospital before being apprehended in May 2020. During his court appearance, he was in a wheelchair. His defense team contended that he was mentally incapable of being held accountable for his actions. 

Approximately 70 individuals were working in the studio in southern Kyoto, Japan’s historic capital, during the assault. One survivor recounted witnessing a dark cloud emerging from downstairs, followed by intense heat, prompting him to leap from a window of the three-story building in search of air. 

The company, known as KyoAni, was established in 1981 and was renowned for a highly successful anime series featuring high school girls. Additionally, the studio provided training for those aspiring to enter the industry. 

Japanese media outlets have portrayed Aoba as a problematic individual who frequently changed jobs and residences and engaged in disputes with neighbors. 

The fire was Japan’s most fatal since 2001, when a fire in Tokyo’s crowded Kabukicho entertainment district claimed the lives of 44 individuals. It also stands as the most severe case of arson in modern Japanese history. 

 Source: Newsroom