Japanese police have obtained an arrest warrant for a suspect as soon as he regains consciousness from injuries in a deadly arson at a Kyoto anime studio.

Kyoto police said they are ready to arrest 41-year-old Shinji Aoba on arson and murder allegations.

Japan Animation Studio Fire
A woman prays to honour the victims of Thursday’s fire at the Kyoto Animation Studio (Jae C Hong/AP)

Aoba is accused of storming Kyoto Animation’s No 1 studio on Thursday, setting it on fire and killing 34 people.

One of the survivors, an animator, told Japanese media he jumped from a window of the three-story building gasping for air amid scorching heat after seeing a “a black mushroom cloud” rising from downstairs.

The attack shocked Japan and drew an outpouring of grief from anime fans worldwide.