Kyoto Animation President Hideaki Hatta Dies of Illness at 76; Company Created Anime Hits ‘Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya,’ ‘K-ON!’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:39 JST, March 2, 2026

Hideaki Hatta, president of Kyoto Animation Co., died of illness on Feb. 16. He was 76.

The funeral service was held privately among family.

Born in Fukui City, Hatta served as president for about 40 years after the company’s establishment in 1985. His wife founded Kyoto Animation in 1981 as a subcontractor specializing in coloring. Based in Kyoto, the company promoted the hiring of full-time employees and nurtured young talent with stable salaries.

From the 2000s onward, the company produced numerous hit works, including “K-ON!” and “Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.”

In the July 2019 arson and murder incident at Studio 1 in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, about 40% of the 176 employees present were caught up in the attack, resulting in 36 deaths. Hatta took sole responsibility for handling the incident and dedicated himself to rebuilding the company.