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Kyoto Animation Posts Memorial Video on 2nd Anniversary of Deadly Arson Attack
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Kyoto Animation posted a 10-minute memorial video on Sunday to commemorate the second anniversary of the arson attack on the Studio 1 building that killed 36 people and wounded 33 others in July 2019.
The video is not available for embedding, but can be viewed by clicking here. The video is only available to watch on July 18 Japan time.
In the video, the company explained that it is posting the video in lieu of an in-person event due to the ongoing pandemic. The video observed a one minute moment of silence, and then featured a message about how the lives of those who were lost still have a big presence for the studio, and how the studio is holding the memories of those who were lost dearly, without forgetting them even for a second, and moving forward.
The rest of the video featured messages from families of the victims, current staff, and those who worked with the studio, but the messages do not have individual names credited.
The video ended with a note from Kyoto Animation stating it will continue to make works and through those works the studio hopes to express its feelings of passion and hope for the future to everyone.
Kyoto Animation has again asked that fans do not go to the site of the attack in consideration of the other people in the neighborhood.
On July 18, 2019, a devastating fire broke out at Kyoto Animation's Studio 1 building. A total of 70 people were inside the building at the time. In addition to the victims inside the building, a man in his 40s on his way to work in the area suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation.
Kyoto Prefectural Police apprehended the then 41-year-old suspect who allegedly used gasoline to start the fire, and they are investigating the case as arson. The man allegedly bought 40 liters of gasoline in two canisters and used a cart to transport the gasoline to Kyoto Animation's Studio 1 building. Last December, Japanese prosecutors formally indicted the man suspected of causing the fire.
Demolition work on Kyoto Animation's Studio 1 building concluded in April 2020. The studio started recruiting again in July 2020.
