KYOTO – Kyoto Animation Co. said Monday that later this month it would remove an altar set up near its studio for victims of the deadly arson attack in July.
The company will accept flowers, messages and other tributes at the temporary stand until Sunday. It was set up two days after the July 18 attack, in which 35 people were killed and dozens of others injured.
The altar will be removed because over a month has passed since the attack, the company said.
Along with a notice about the removal on its website, the company also expressed its gratitude for the encouragement and support it has seen from people around the world.
“In response to warm regards sent beyond national borders by many people, we will try to produce animations that can deliver dreams, hopes and moving experiences to everyone,” it said.
The company’s studio in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto — the hub of its anime production — was set ablaze in the attack after a man spread and ignited gasoline inside the three-story building.
The suspect, Shinji Aoba, remains hospitalized with severe burns. Police are waiting for him to recover before they arrest him for murder and arson.
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