It’s been around nine months since the arson attack that struck Kyoto Animation in 2019. Nearly a year after, dismantling work on the site where the tragedy took place has been completed.
As reported by NHK News, the dismantling of what was Studio No. 1, situated in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, had been ongoing since November, though it was only finished on April 28. Where the building had been was marked by a fence encompassing an empty plain. In addition to stating how Shinji Aoba is still being treated until he could be deemed able to “withstand detention” by police, the article went on to mention the following (translated into English):
While some of the bereaved families have asked for a place of memorial service over the site of the No. 1 Studio, there is an unspecified number of people from the local neighborhood association, and there are also opinions requesting that no monument be maintained. It has come out.
Kyoto Animation said on the 28th, “The first studio is in the heart of all employees, and we will continue to take care of our thoughts. We will leave the site as it is for the time being, but from the viewpoint of safety and crime prevention, We are planning external construction work. “
The news that a memorial, as brought up by the families of some of the victims, would not be built at the behest of the local neighborhood, has been further elaborated on Twitter by Japanese user soukatsu, suggesting that a final decision may yet be pending. Quoting the lawyer representing KyoAni since the tragedy:
“We wish to make a comprehensive decision that takes all possible circumstances into consideration after we have consulted with the affected family members and locals.”
The arson attack that occurred on July 2019 resulted in the deaths of 36 employees, including animation directors Yoshiji Kigami (who was involved in works as varied as Grave of the Fireflies and Violet Evergarden) and Futoshi Nishiya (of Sound! Euphonium and Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid fame), as well as injured 33 more.
