'Kidnap and Murder Her': Voice Actress Sumire Uesaka Axes Convention Appearance After Sinister Email Threat

Japanese voice actress Sumire Uesaka has cancelled her appearance at the Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair after her agency said it received multiple threatening emails, including one warning that several people would kidnap and kill her by 27 September.

Uesaka, a PR ambassador for the event, had been due to appear on both Saturday, 19 September, and Sunday, 20 September.

Sumire Uesaka Withdrawal Follows Repeated Threatening Emails

Uesaka had been scheduled for stage appearances across both days of Kyomaf. The agency said the threatening messages included a warning that multiple people would kidnap Uesaka and kill her.

The organising committee confirmed on Wednesday, 16 September, that Uesaka would no longer take part in the event, three days before Kyomaf was due to open. Her agency said it had received multiple threatening messages explicitly naming the voice actress.

Among the emails was a message stating: 'We will kidnap [Uesaka] by Sept 27 with multiple people and kill [her].' The agency cited the threat while explaining why it decided to withdraw her from the convention.

Voice Kit said it had reported the matter to the relevant police station and requested an investigation. The agency later said its decision to withdraw Uesaka from Kyomaf also took account of police guidance.

Her agency later apologised on its website to fans who had expected to see her at the fair. No details were provided about the sender or senders of the emails, and the reports did not say whether anyone had been identified in connection with the threats.

Sumire Uesaka Had Been Due To Appear on Both Kyomaf Days

Uesaka's cancellation removes one of the fair's own PR ambassadors from the programme shortly before the event begins. She had been listed to attend on both days and was expected to make stage appearances during the convention.

The fair itself remains scheduled to proceed on Saturday and Sunday. Organisers said events will continue across several venues, including the Kyoto International Exhibition Hall, also known as Miyako Messe, in Kyoto's Sakyo Ward.

The cancellation therefore affects Uesaka's participation rather than the wider Kyomaf programme. The organising committee did not announce a postponement or cancellation of the fair in the information provided.

Uesaka is known for anime voice roles including Sanae Dekomori in 'Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!' and Fubuki in 'Kantai Collection' ('KanColle'). Her ambassador role also meant her absence would be visible beyond a single stage slot, because she had been associated with the fair ahead of its opening.

Sumire Uesaka Threat Included Date Beyond Kyomaf Weekend

The timing of the threatening email is one of the details disclosed by the agency. The message referred to 27 September, a week after Kyomaf is scheduled to end, rather than limiting the alleged threat to the convention itself.

The information released so far does not state how far the police investigation has progressed, whether security arrangements at Kyomaf have been changed, or whether Uesaka has received additional protection following the emails.

It also does not identify a suspect, describe a possible motive or say when the threatening messages first began arriving.

They also do not identify a suspect, describe a possible motive or say when the threatening messages first began arriving. What has been confirmed is that Uesaka will not appear at Kyomaf on either 19 or 20 September, while the fair will continue at its Kyoto venues.

The agency's withdrawal decision came before the deadline named in the threatening message, with Uesaka's scheduled public appearances removed from the programme before the convention opened.