Man who set fire to Japanese animation studio, killing 36, sentenced to death

The fire that burned down Kyoto Animation's studio four and a half years ago was the deadliest crime in Japan in decades, leaving the Japanese animation industry and fans around the world stunned.

The sudden death of a Japanese cartoon character caused 36 people to die, picture 1 — A person gives aid to victims at the scene of a fire in Kyoto, Japan on July 19, 2019. Photo: AFP

Shinji Aoba, now 45, broke into the building, spread gasoline across the ground floor, set it on fire and shouted "Die" on the morning of July 18, 2019, according to survivors.

“The act of pouring a large amount of gasoline and setting it on fire is very likely to cause death and burning a person alive is truly cruel and inhumane,” presiding judge Keisuke Masuda said in his ruling.

The victims were “engulfed in fire and smoke in the blink of an eye… They died agonizing deaths as the set instantly turned into an inferno,” he said.

Many of the dead were young, including a 21-year-old woman. Some victims were found on spiral staircases leading to the roof, suggesting they were desperate to escape.

“There was someone jumping from the second floor… but we couldn’t rush in to help because the fire was so strong. It was like looking into hell,” a woman told local media at the time.

More than 30 others were injured, with firefighters calling the incident "unprecedented" and saying it was "extremely difficult" to rescue those trapped inside.

Aoba, who was arrested near the scene, faces five charges including murder, attempted murder and arson, and prosecutors have asked for the death penalty in the high court.

His lawyers entered a not guilty plea, saying he was "incapable of distinguishing right from wrong and committed the crime due to a mental disorder." But on Thursday, the judge ruled Aoba was "not insane and did not have diminished mental capacity at the time of the crime."

The sudden death of a Japanese cartoon character caused 36 people to die, part 2 — The Kyoto Animation studio building caught fire on July 20, 2019. Photo: Reuters

Inside the courtroom packed with victims' relatives, one person cried and covered his eyes as the judge spoke, television reported.

Local media reported that the court later imposed the death sentence. “I didn’t think so many people would die and now I think I went too far,” Aoba told the Kyoto District Court in September.

Prosecutors said Aoba had "delusions" that the studio known to fans as KyoAni had stolen his ideas, a claim the company has denied.

Aoba suffered burns to 90% of his body in the incident and underwent 12 surgeries. He regained consciousness a few weeks later and was said to have been in tears after undergoing a procedure to restore his ability to speak.

The sudden death of a Japanese cartoon character caused 36 people to die, part 3. — The perpetrator Shinji Aoba was also severely burned in the incident. Photo: GI

Japan is one of the few countries to impose the death penalty, usually in murder cases involving more than one victim, and polls show public support is high. Death row inmates are usually notified of their execution in the early hours of the morning.

The most high-profile execution in recent years was in 2018, when Japan carried out the death sentences of 13 people — including the head of a doomsday cult — responsible for the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway.

Huy Hoang (according to NHK, AFP, CNA)

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