Trial opens in Japan in the 2019 animation studio arson that killed 36 people. Suspect pleads guilty

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — The suspect in a 2019 arson attack at an animation studio in Japan has gone on trial, pleading guilty to the murder of 36 people. The trial for the deadliest crime in decades in the country opened on Tuesday at the Kyoto District Court. It had been long delayed to give the defendant, 45-year-old Shinji Aoba, time to recover from serious burns sustained in the attack. He is charged with multiple counts of murder, attempted murder and arson after he stormed into the studio and set it on fire. The attack shocked Japan and drew an outpouring of grief from anime fans worldwide.