Kyoto Animation Announces Opening of Memorial for Arson Victims

To honor those who died in the 2019 arson incident, Kyoto Animation is preparing to open a new public memorial statue.

By Evan Valentine

In 2019, Kyoto Animation suffered greatly thanks to an arson incident. The incident resulted in the tragic deaths of thirty-six employees while thirty-four were injured. The arsonist received the death penalty in the Japanese judicial system and Kyoto Animation is still paying tribute to those lost in the blaze. Set to erect a new memorial statue later this month, the production house has revealed new details regarding the memorial.

Kyoto Animation released an official statement regarding the public memorial statue that will be open to the public in Japan beginning on July 14th titled, "Monument Connecting Wills", "Thank you very much for your continued support of our company. As we have previously announced, a monument will be erected in the city-run "Tea and Uji Town Historical Park" in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, where our head office is located, as a symbol of our gratitude and wishes for the incident, the staff lost in the incident, and the prayers and support we have received from all over the world. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has kindly cooperated and shown their understanding."

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(Photo: NHK)

Kyoto Animation: Monument Connecting Wills

The official statement continues, "The monument is expected to be open to the public from around 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 14th. Before the opening, a meeting to report on the installation of the monument and its donation to Uji City is scheduled, so visitors will not be able to visit the area around the monument. Please refrain from visiting the monument before 2:00 p.m. on the same day. We ask for your understanding and cooperation in order to ensure the smooth running of the event. As it is a long holiday, we expect that there will be quite a few people visiting the park for a while. If the surrounding area is crowded, please be considerate to others and be considerate to others so as not to cause trouble to others using the park. Please continue to refrain from visiting the area near the former site of our Studio 1. Please be considerate of those living nearby."

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Kyoto Animation was first established in 1985 and has gone on to create some truly beautiful anime projects since it swung open its doors. Violet Evergarden, A Silent Voice, and Free! are just a few examples of the projects that Kyoto has created in the past. 

Via Kyoto Animation Official Website

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