At the scene. Source: Kyodo

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also conveyed his sympathy to Japanese Foreign Minister Kono Taro.

At least 34 people died and dozens were injured after a man set fire to the Kyoto Animation studio on the morning of July 18, public broadcaster NHK said.

It is one of Japan's worst mass murder in nearly two decades.

Police have detained a man described by local media as a 41-year-old resident of Saitama, an area north of Tokyo.

He is reported to have said "drop dead" before setting alight flammable liquid he poured around the building.

The Kyoto Shimbun newspaper reported he told police "I set the fire because they stole novels."

Public broadcaster NHK said the man suffers from a mental illness and served 3.5 years in a prison after stealing cash from a convenience store.

Arson is considered a particularly serious offence in Japan, where many buildings are made of wood and extremely fire-prone./.

VNF