Japan's Buddhist hall housing 1200 year old 'eternal flame' destroyed by fire
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Japan's Buddhist hall housing 1200 year old 'eternal flame' destroyed by fire")
Japan's Buddhist hall housing 1200 year old 'eternal flame' in Japan destroyed by fire Photograph: (X)
Destroyed in a recent fire, Japan’s Reikado Hall was home to a 1,200-year-old eternal flame linked to Buddhist monk Kukai and Hiroshima’s Flame of Peace.
Reikado Hall, a historic Shingon Buddhist site located close to the summit of Mount Misen, Miyajima Island in southwestern Japan, was completely devastated by fire. The hall was home to the “eternal flame”, which Buddhist spiritual leaders believe has burned for more than 1,200 years. It was reduced to a charred skeleton on Wednesday, May 20. The authorities have said no one was injured, and the Kiezu-no-hi or the eternal flame, was moved to a different location before the structure could collapse.
“We have received many messages of sympathy,” the Daisho-in temple said in a statement on its website. “Thank you for your concern.”
How did the temple catch fire?
The authorities have said that they are investigating the cause of the fire. Tetsuya Kotaki, a fire prevention official at the Hatsukaichi fire department, said that they received the call at 8:32 am local time on Wednesday from an official at the temple saying that the Reikado Hall was on fire. According to reports from the Japan Times, authorities are looking into whether the eternal flame itself accidentally spread to the surrounding structure.
Located at 1,500 feet up near the summit of Mount Misen, firefighters faced extreme logistical difficulties in managing the fire. Over 30 firefighters and a helicopter battled for an hour to douse the fire.
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The hall has suffered from repeated damage from natural disasters and fire, including in 2005, due to an accidental fire involving combustible materials inside. It was rebuilt the following year to preserve both the historic building and the sacred flame. The Daisho-in temple has already announced intentions to rebuild the hall immediately once more.
There have been reports of several other sites being damaged by the fire in the first half of 2026. There were at least eight fires in temples and shrines reported till May 2026.
Legacy of Reikado Hall
The Reikado Hall holds that the flame was first lit by the famous Buddhist monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi), who founded the Shingon school of Buddhism in the ninth century. It was used for his ascetic training; later, the same flame was used to light the Flame of Peace at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. An iron kettle of water that is boiled in the flame is believed by the Shingon Buddhists to have healing properties and bring good fortune.
