The death penalty was requested against the man accused of the arson of an animation studio in Kyoto (western Japan) in 2019 which caused 36 deaths, the media announced Thursday, December 7 Japanese. Shinji Aoba, 45, admitted to being the author of the fire in early September during the first hearing of his trial in Kyoto. The verdict is expected on January 25.
“I didn’t think so many people were going to die and now I think I’ve gone too far,” the accused said at the time. He himself was seriously burned in the disaster and appeared at his trial in a wheelchair. His lawyers pleaded not guilty, arguing that he had lacked “the ability to distinguish between right and wrong” due to psychiatric disorders. However, he was charged in December 2020 after being deemed by prosecutors to be “fully responsible for his actions” and mentally fit to stand trial.
Shinji Aoba acted out of “revenge based on a misplaced grudge,” said the prosecution. He had no connection with the Kyoto Animation studio (nicknamed “KyoAni”) but he accused it of stealing a script idea from him, according to media reports. The KyoAni tragedy, which also left around thirty studio staff injured, had a major impact in Japan and abroad.
Founded in 1985 and renowned for the quality of its production, KyoAni is still in business, having continued its operations despite the tragedy. The Kyoto court was not immediately available to confirm local media reports on the prosecution’s requisitions. Along with the United States, Japan is one of the few democratic countries to still authorize the death penalty, where it is carried out by hanging. Japanese public opinion remains largely in favor, despite the criticism.
