A Japanese man has been sentenced to death for an arson attack at a Kyoto animation studio in 2019 which killed 36 people and injured dozens more.
The incident, one of Japan’s deadliest in recent decades, killed mostly young artists and shocked the anime world.
Shinji Aoba, 45, pleaded guilty to the attack but his lawyers had sought a lighter sentence, arguing grounds of “mental incompetence”.
Judges rejected this however, ruling Aobo knew what he was doing.
“I have determined that the defendant was not mentally insane or weak at the time of the crime,” Chief Judge Masuda said during the ruling on Thursday at Kyoto District Court.
One of the most shocking cases in recent decades in Japan, the incident sparked national mourning. The country’s public and media have followed the case closely.
Many of the animation staff were killed after being trapped on the upper floors of the studio as the fire spread.
Aoba himself suffered burns to over 90% of his body in the fire, and was only arrested after he recovered from operations.
