Demolition of Kyoto Animation’s Fire-Hit 1st Studio Building Now Finished

NHK has reported this Tuesday that the demolition of Kyoto Animation’s fire-hit 1^st Studio building is now complete. Demolition work for the building began last November. An aerial shot by NHK shows us the now-empty plot of land:

No decision has been made yet on what to do with the location of the building. According to Kyoto Animation’s lawyer, the decision on what to do with the land will be done “after meeting and considering the viewpoints of the bereaved families and those involved with the local community”.

It will be remembered that in an interview just two days after the tragic arson incident, KyoAni president Hideaki Hatta stated that he was considering building a public park on the land as well as a monument to the deceased employees.

Hatta’s decision to have the building demolished was in consideration to the neighborhood around the studio: “when I consider the staff and the people in this neighborhood, there are people who don’t want to see such a gruesome sight.” In a separate press conference last October 18, he also stated that “It truly pains my heart whenever I see that treasured building in that state.”

The fire started at around 10:30 AM JST on July 18 2019, with the Kyoto City Fire Department immediately dispatching 30 fire engines to respond to the scene. Fire out was officially announced at 3:19 PM JST. Police apprehended a 41-year-old man who was seen by nearby residents to have poured gasoline around the building and then started the fire.

The suspect was identified to be a resident of Saitama City but used to live in Ibaraki Prefecture in Honshu, where he was indicted in 2012 for a convenience store robbery. He served three and a half years in jail for this crime. He was also found to have lived in a shelter for former convicts before moving to his present address, which was found on the driver’s license he was carrying with him. He was also reported to have a mental illness, something which prosecutors expect will be used in court to his favor.

It will be remembered that he was in critical condition after being apprehended by the police shortly after he set fire to the studio, as he had burns all over his body. Police have already obtained a warrant for his arrest but are yet to arrest him. As of this writing, the suspect was reported to be undergoing rehabilitation and is already able to communicate as well.

The arson incident took the lives of 36 talented staff and animators.

Source: Anime News Network