Photo/Illutration People pay tribute on July 14 at a monument in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, commemorating the victims of the 2019 Kyoto Animation arson attack. (Shintaro Kiko)

UJI, Kyoto Prefecture--A monument honoring the 36 lives lost in an arson attack on a Kyoto Animation Co. studio has been erected in a park here, five years after Japan's deadliest mass killing in decades.

The sculpture was unveiled on July 14 in a ceremony attended by 35 members of the bereaved families.

At the event, a message from company employees was shared: "Five years after the incident, we have never forgotten our precious colleagues," it said. "We hope that this monument will serve as a symbol where many people can express their thoughts and prayers."

The monument features 36 birds taking flight, symbolizing the 36 victims. It is positioned so that visitors facing the sculpture look toward the site of the destroyed studio in the neighboring city of Kyoto.

The inscription on the monument begins with the phrase "Dreams and passion from one person to another" and goes on to say that "even drawing a single line requires years of experience and deep thought."

The monument was built by the company, also known as Kyoani, and the bereaved families, partly funded by donations received after the attack.

The memorial is intended for fans of the famed animation studio, who will be unable to access another monument planned for the incident site, which is off-limits to everyone except company employees and bereaved families.

Following the ceremony, a steady stream of fans visited the site, paying their respects and offering their condolences.

One visitor shared how Kyoani's works had provided strength and support during times of personal struggles, particularly when facing decisions about future paths and careers.

In the arson attack on July 18, 2019, the three-story building in Kyoto’s Fushimi Ward was set on fire, killing 36 people and injuring 32 others.

The suspect, Shinji Aoba, is appealing the death sentence handed down by the Kyoto District Court in January.

During the July 14 ceremony, the father of a female staff member who perished in the inferno addressed the gathering, expressing his heartfelt appreciation to the current staff for their strength and courage in the face of the tragedy.

“The passion and expertise of the deceased staff members continue to live on within the company,” he said, stressing that Kyoani's works bringing hope and inspiration to many people is a source of great pride for the surviving families.

An 81-year-old man who lost his 48-year-old son in the blaze expressed his appreciation for the monument, believing that it serves as recognition of the studio's legacy and the victims’ contributions to it.

He said his son, a talented animator who contributed to the studio's hit TV series “Sound! Euphonium” and other works, would be proud of this tribute.

The sculpture was built in the city where his son lived with his family, the same city depicted in the TV series.

The monument holds special significance for the father, serving as a tangible reminder of his son's life and work.

While he was unable to visit on the day of the unveiling, he plans to pay his respects on July 18, the fifth anniversary of the tragedy.

(This article was written by Yuki Chai, Shintaro Kiko, Yumin Seki and Haruhiko Yoshimura.)

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