Kyoto Animation president and CEO Hideaki Hatta dies at 76
Kyoto Animation Co. President and CEO Hideaki Hatta died of illness on Feb. 16 at the age of 76, the Japanese animation studio said Monday.
A native of Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, Hatta had led the company since its founding in 1985.
The studio is known for such series as "K-On!," "Lucky Star", and "Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya."
In July 2019, an arson attack gutted Kyoto Animation's No. 1 studio in the western city of Kyoto, killing 36 people and injuring 32 others.
Hatta's eldest son, Shinichiro Hatta, succeeded him as president and CEO. The studio said in a statement that while carrying forward Hideaki Hatta's vision, "we remain committed to creating work that can be enjoyed by people all over the world."
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
