Kyoto Animation Devastated by Arson Attack

Japanese anime studio Kyoto Animation was devastated by an arson attack on July 18, 2019 at around 10:00AM (JST). An explosion occurred at the studio, located in Kyoto, after a man poured gasoline around the building and set it on fire.

At the time of the explosion, around 70 employees were in the building and more than 10 are reported dead while many more remain missing or not contactable. The suspected arsonist was arrested by the police.

About 30 fire engines arrived on scene but the fire was still not contained even after 3 hours. Based on reports from the scene, more than 10 employees were found dead on the 1st and 2nd floors of the building.

Kyoto Animation, founded in 1985, is one of Japan's famous animation studios. From K-On!!, The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi to the recent Violet Evergarden, the studio has produced many popular anime.

The arson attack has saddened fans both in Japan and overseas. Our condolences and thoughts are with Kyoto Animation.

Tokyo Otaku Mode will soon be collecting encouraging messages from fans around the world and translating them into Japanese to help convey the love that international fans have for the studio. You can follow the effort on TOM's various social media.