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Following the awful arson attack on Kyoto Animation later last month, 35 people from the attack have been pronounced dead. This weekend, after obtaining permission from the victims’ families, Kyoto police have named (via the Japan Times) the first ten of the deceased, including some top creators at the studio.
Director Yasuhiro Takemoto, 47, was named as one of the 35 victims from the attack. Takemoto was praised as one of Kyoto Animation’s top directors, overseeing hit anime series like Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Lucky Star, and more.
Futoshi Nishiya, 37, was also named among the victims. He was known for director Free!. Animator Yoshiji Kigami, 61, was also identified. The remaining seven names include: Junichi Uda, 34, Yuki Omura, 23, Yuka Kasama, 22, Ami Kuriki, 30, Sachie Tsuda, 41, Keisuke Yokota, 34, and Mikiko Watanabe, 35.
Kyoto police noted they carefully looked at the timing and means in which to disclose the identities of the victims, and ensured their families had time to grieve and arrange their funerals.
The attack took play on July 18th, where arsonist Shinji Aoba, 41, allegedly poured gasoline in the main Kyoto Animation building, setting the fire ablaze. 26 of the 35 victims burned to death, while four died from carbon monoxide poisoning, two from burns covering their entire bodies, and one from an unidentified cause. 33 others sustained injuries and were hospitalized.
Aoba survived the attack, and is receiving treatment for severe burns, prior to police formally arresting him and putting him on trial. Aoba had purportedly contacted Kyoto Animation earlier, claiming they plagiarized his idea for a novel, and rejected his manuscript. Kyoto Animation has denied these claims.
If you’re looking to directly support Kyoto Animation in this time of recovery, you can do so via directly donating to their company account, seen here on their official website (Editor’s note: You’d have to make a wire transfer to the provided bank account details).
