Kyoto Animation hopes to recover data from server after arson attack

"The data are the products of people who were killed or injured," lawyer Daisuke Okeda, who represents the Uji-based animation production company, told reporters last week. The arson attack on July 18 left 35 people dead and dozens injured.

The server was located in a room on the first floor of the three-story studio building in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward. The room with concrete walls was distant from the staircase close to where Shinji Aoba, 41, is suspected to have spread and ignited gasoline.

Kyoto Animation, often referred to as "KyoAni" by fans, is known for works such as "K-On!" and "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya," which depict the everyday lives of high school girls.

Personal computers in the building were destroyed and documents relating to ongoing projects were nearly all lost, but some original drawings may have been digitalized prior to the attack, Okeda said.

He said a note on a rack inside the server room was not damaged.

"There is a possibility that the data can be recovered if there was no damage from the fire and if the server did not get wet" as the fire was being extinguished, said Yo Haruyama, president of AOS Data Inc, which specializes in data backup and recovery services.

Investigative sources said Monday that Aoba had likely withdrawn between 50,000 yen and 100,000 yen in cash from an automated teller machine before the incident. Police believe he used the cash to pay for his traveling expenses and gasoline used in the arson attack, the sources said.

Aoba arrived in Kyoto on July 15 and stayed at a hotel in the city for two days. He registered with his actual name and phone number, paying for his accommodation in cash, the sources said.

He bought cans to carry the gasoline and other items at a hardware store in Uji on July 17 and purchased gasoline just before the incident on July 18, the sources said.