KYOTO, Japan – The perpetrator of Japan’s worst postwar mass murder, Shinji Aoba, has been sentenced to death for the killing of 36 people in an arson attack at a Kyoto Animation Co. studio in 2019. Aoba, 45, admitted to the attack and nearly died himself in the fire he started at the studio. His defense team had argued for acquittal by reason of insanity, but the court found him fully responsible for his actions and handed down the death penalty.
During his trial at the Kyoto District Court, Aoba’s role in the murders was not in question. The judge stated that he was “neither insane nor of unsound mind” when he carried out the attack. The trial, conducted under the citizen judge system, ended with a sentence of capital punishment. The presiding judge described the crime as “as atrocious as it is cruel” and emphasized the immeasurable horror felt by the victims.
Aoba had broken into the studio, poured gasoline at the entrance, and set it on fire, trapping the workers inside. Thirty-six people, including Kyoto Animation employees, died and 32 others were injured. The defense argued that Aoba was “delusional” at the time of the attack, claiming that he believed the company had stolen his novel ideas, harboring resentment towards their success. However, the court recognized the influence of a delusional disorder on his claims, but stated that he was not delusional when he planned and carried out the attack.
The court also noted Aoba’s hesitance near the crime scene before setting the fire, indicating his awareness of the wrongfulness of his actions. Despite claims from the defense about his impaired ability to distinguish right from wrong and to dissuade himself from committing the crime, the judge dismissed this argument. Aoba was taken into custody shortly after the fire with severe burns and underwent multiple surgeries before his arrest.
Throughout the trial, Aoba showed little remorse, stating at one point that he did not expect so many people to die, but now thinks that he went too far. During the sentencing session, he remained expressionless, while the bereaved family members of the victims wiped away tears. The death sentence was handed down, marking the conclusion of a tragic and devastating case that shook Japan to its core.