Photo/Illutration A memorial service is held July 18 in Kyoto’s Fushimi Ward for victims of the 2019 arson attack on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio. (Provided by Kyoto Animation Co.)

KYOTO--A memorial ceremony was held here July 18 for the 36 victims who perished in an arson attack on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio four years ago that also left 32 people injured.

The July 18, 2019, incident engulfed the the No. 1 studio, trapping many people inside.

The ceremony started around 10:30 a.m., marking the time the attack occurred four years ago.

About 160 family members and colleagues observed a minute of silence and offered flowers.

“Losing our friends and colleagues was absolutely unbearable,” said Kyoto Animation President Hideaki Hatta in an address delivered at the memorial. “What we can do is to keep creating works.”

“And we’ll stick to our culture of working hard together,” he added.

“Everything changed from that day,” said an employee of the famed animation studio. “And I knew how precious were the ordinary days that I previously took for granted.”

The employee added: “What we can do is to keep creating works to inspire future generations. And we’ll keep our creative spirit alive.”

Kyoto prefectural police arrested 45-year-old Shinji Aoba, an unemployed Saitama resident, on suspicion of murder and arson in May 2020.

Aoba, who suffered severe burns in the attack, was indicted in December that year on multiple charges of murder and attempted murder.

His trial is scheduled to begin in September.

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