Final Kyoto Animation Worldwide Donations Total Over US$30 Million -BB

It’s been over 6 months since Kyoto Animation was attacked by an arsonist, killing 36 and injuring 33 employees of the well-loved anime studio. While the fire was still raging, fans poured their hearts out wanting to do their part to support the studio. In the months after the tragedy, over 3.34 billion yen (US$30.4 million) was donated to Kyoto Animation for the victims, Yahoo News reported on January 17, recounting the final total.

In a press conference on January 17, Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki explained that a committee has been set up to distribute the money effectively between all the victims and their families from the donation bank account set up by Kyoto Animation that closed on December 27. While Nishiwaki said that he wants to “deliver the feelings received from Japan and overseas as soon as possible” by giving the money over, „it takes time to collect information on victims.“

Questionaries have been sent out to the victims and families to help the committee to determine the allocation amount per victim on a range of issues, including children that may be left behind without a parent, long-lasting injuries, or lost wages. Nishiwaki said that “everyone’s individual circumstances are different, and there are many items to consider.“ So far, a “majority” of the questionnaires from the families have already been returned to the committee and the next meeting will be held in early February.

Outside of donations, Kyodo News reports that compensation to the families of the deceased victims has already started, with approvals being sent out as early as last November. These payments are based on compensation given to victims and their families of the 1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo because they were “work-related crimes.” No details on what the claims included, or how much was given out was made public for privacy reasons.

Kyoto Animation Studio 1 on January 18 (via Nifty News)

January 18 marked the 6-month anniversary of the attack, and fans from all around the world made their way to what’s left of the currently being torn down Studio 1. The demolition is scheduled to be completed in April 2020. It has not been announced what will be built on the site.

Sources: Kyodo News (1, 2), Yahoo News, Nifty News

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Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs the YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.