Image via Kyoto Animation
The arsonist was held responsible for the attack after he was proved to be of sound mind.
On July 18, 2019, Japan was shaken by one of the worst cases of mass murder seen in recent times when the Studio 1 building of Kyoto Animation was set on fire. The arson attack, perpetrated by a then 42-year old man named Shinji Aoba, killed a total of 36 people and injured 32.
The attack, dubbed ‘The Kyoto Animation arson murder incident’, is considered as one of the deadliest massacres in Japan since World War II, the deadliest fire in Japan since the 2001 Myojo 56 building fire, and the first massacre to ever happen that is associated with the entertainment and animation industry.
Witnesses during the devastating event stated that Aoba was accusing the studio of plagiarising his novels while perpetrating the crime. It was revealed that Aoba had passed a draft novel to Kyoto Animation, however it did not pass the first-stage assessment and was forgotten, and its contents were confirmed to bear no similarities to any of Kyoto Animation's published works.
Aoba was handed the death penalty by the Kyoto District Court back in January 2024, after stating that he was capable of differentiating right from wrong, and should take responsibility. On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, a Japanese High Court finalised the death penalty after Aoba himself withdrew his appeal to overturn the punishment on Monday at Osaka High Court.
At first, Aoba’s defence team appealed the death sentence on the grounds of insanity, saying he was not of sound mind when he committed the crime. However, when the defendant himself withdrew his appeal, the death sentence was reinstated immediately. When Aoba committed the Arson, he suffered severe burns on 90% of his own body and was arrested after he recovered from the treatment. The family and friends of the victims who passed away or suffered heavy injuries remain angry at the defendant and feel as though no punishment could be enough for the crimes that Aoba committed on that day.
Kyoto Animation co. better known as KyoAni, is a massive animation studio and light novel publisher that has worked on global hits such as Violet Evergarden, A Silent Voice, Free!, and Nichijou. Although Aoba’s death penalty has been confirmed, the case remains one of the worst and most traumatic events the country has ever seen.