KYOTO -- The president of Kyoto Animation Co. vowed that the company will continue production, pledging to move forward "even if only by an inch at a time."
Hideaki Hatta was speaking Saturday at a press conference held following a memorial service at the site of the company's No. 1 studio in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto.
"We will move forward, even if only by an inch at a time, so that [our pursuits] will carry on into the future," said Hatta, president of the company affectionately known as KyoAni.
"Every day was a struggle," the 70-year-old president recalled the past year during his first press conference since Oct. 18. "I had to bolster my own spirits in order to be able to lead my staff."
The arson attack left 36 employees dead and 33 others injured, meaning about 40% of KyoAni's workforce of 176 people at that time were involved in the incident. The company's total number of employees has dropped to 141 as of April 1.
Some of those who were injured have returned to work, but there are a number of employees who have not been able to recover from the psychological shock from the incident, according to Hatta.
"We take communication [with employees] seriously, and if supervisors notice anything [about their staff members], advice from experts is sought," the president said.
"Our production capabilities have greatly declined," he added. "It may now take two years to produce something that could have been completed in only one, but we want to distribute work that we've refined with our own hands, no matter how much time it requires."
When asked about KyoAni's reconstruction, Hatta replied, "It does not simply mean building a new structure." He added that his company has resumed recruitment for new employees and restarted its professional development program for aspiring youth.
"Our company has a tradition of senior employees teaching [newer ones] every detail from scratch," Hatta said. "We will pass on our philosophy of producing something that involves each and every one of us."
KyoAni's remaining employees have led the charge on the first production since the incident, titled "Violet Evergarden the Movie," which will be released on Sept. 18.
"We were able to complete the project after putting all of our feelings and the wishes [of the victims] into it," Hatta said. "It would be such a joy if many people would come and watch this movie."
KyoAni has also begun animation production for TV, according to the president.
Established in 1981, the company is known for hit works such as "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" and "K-ON!!" which have gained much popularity overseas.
Following the arson attack, about 3.34 billion yen in donations was raised both domestically and abroad, all of which has been distributed to the bereaved families of the victims and others at present at the time of the incident.
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