A ceremony has been held in Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan, to mark the completion of a monument in memory of the 36 victims who perished in an arson attack at an animation studio in Kyoto City five years ago.

About 100 people, including bereaved relatives and Kyoto Animation employees, attended the ceremony at the site of the monument on Sunday.

The 3-meter-tall monument, designed by the company's creators, was built in a park in Uji City where the head office of Kyoto Animation company is located.

It features 36 birds soaring into the sky, symbolizing the individuality of the victims. It carries inscriptions such as "Passing on dreams and passion from person to person."

A message from a representative of the employees was read out at the ceremony. It said they put their feelings into the design in the hope that the monument will serve as a symbol.

A family member of one of the victims said in a speech that they are proud that the passion and skills of the deceased staff live on the minds of the current employees, and the works created by the company continue to give hope and inspiration to many people.

The monument will be open to the public, but Kyoto Animation asks people to refrain from offering flowers.

Regarding the 2019 arson attack, the Kyoto District Court handed down a death sentence in January to Aoba Shinji for murder and other charges. The defendant appealed the ruling.