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Kyoto Animation to Close Donation Bank Account on December 27
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Daisuke Okeda, the lawyer for Kyoto Animation, announced on Twitter on Friday that Kyoto Animation will close the bank account it set up to receive donations on December 27.
The bank account opened on July 24, and reached 2,915,460,000 yen (about US$26.8 million) by October 17. The studio later handed control of the account to the custody of the Kyoto Prefectural Government, who will oversee the donation money's transfer to the victims of the fire and their families. Kyoto Animation will not handle the money itself. Sentai Filmworks confirmed earlier this month that it had sent the final distribution of funds from its GoFundMe campaign to the studio.
In related news, the entertainment industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter posted a lengthy feature article on Friday that includes an interview with Kyoto Animation CEO Hideaki Hatta. The feature appeared in the company's magazine on December 19. In the report, The Hollywood Reporter stated Kyoto Animation has received more than US$30 million in donations, with "the vast majority in the form of small donations from fans." Hatta also stated in the interview that all of the donations will go to the victims and their families.
On July 18, a devastating fire broke out at Kyoto Animation's Studio 1 building. A total of 70 people were inside the building at the time. The fire killed 36 people and injured 33 others. In addition to those victims, a man in his 40s on his way to work in the area suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation.
Kyoto Prefectural Police have apprehended a 41-year-old man who allegedly used gasoline to start the fire, and they are investigating the case as arson. The man allegedly bought 40 liters of gasoline in two canisters and used a cart to transport the gasoline to Kyoto Animation's Studio 1 building. Police have yet to arrest the man as he is still in the hospital recovering from his injuries from the fire. The man is now undergoing rehabilitation and is able to communicate.
Kyoto Animation held a public memorial service for the victims of the fire at the Miyako Messe event hall in Kyoto on November 3-4.
Source: Daisuke Okeda's Twitter account, Kyoto Animation via Hachima Kikō
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history