Fire Destroys Reikado Hall, Home of 1,200-Year-Old Eternal Flame

A blaze on the morning of 20 May 2026 consumed Reikado Hall, the wooden structure near Mount Misen’s summit on Miyajima Island, Hiroshima Prefecture, leaving a charred skeleton. No injuries were reported.

Kukai-Linked Sacred Hall on Miyajima Burns Down

Since ninth-century monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) lit it during a goma ritual, Reikado Hall has housed the “eternal flame,” known as the “inextinguishable flame” or “Kiezu no Hi.” The fire is said to have burned for about 1,200 years and to have supplied a source for the “Flame of Peace” at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a nuclear-disarmament symbol.

Fire destroys historic hall at Miyajima temple1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

• 08:30 a.m. – Temple official alerts authorities of flames at Reikado Hall.

Fire destroys historic hall at Miyajima temple

• 08:32 a.m. – Hatsukaichi fire department receives the call.

Kukai-Linked Sacred Hall on Miyajima Burns Down

• 08:30–10:30 a.m. – Firefighters battle blaze, haul hoses uphill, deplete temple water tank.

New York Times

• ?10:30 a.m. – Fire under control; surrounding woods partially scorched.

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The hall sits 1,500 feet above sea level. Roughly 30 square metres of the structure and a nearby hut were lost. Firefighters used a helicopter and external water sources after the temple’s tank emptied.

New York Times

The loss of a World-Heritage-site building highlights the fragility of Japan’s wooden religious architecture. Pilgrims also lose access to a site linking ancient Buddhist practice with post-war peace symbolism.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Daisho-in Temple, the main temple of the Omuro School of Shingon Buddhism founded by Kukai in 806, posted a statement thanking the public for sympathy and pledging reconstruction. The Hatsukaichi fire department noted the logistical difficulty of fighting a hilltop fire and the rapid depletion of the temple’s water supply.

Sacred Buddhist hall on Japan’s Miyajima Island destroyed by fire

Officials said the hall’s water tank was insufficient, forcing crews to haul hoses from the mountain base. Recent blazes at Daihoji Temple in northern Japan and Atago Shrine in Niigata highlight vulnerability of wooden shrines.

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Authorities have opened an investigation, but no cause is confirmed. Some reports list the cause as “unknown,” while others give no detail, leaving the fire’s origin unresolved.

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• “We have received many messages of sympathy,” — Daisho-in Temple spokesperson

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• “The response team had to bring hoses from the bottom of the hill,” — Tetsuya Kotaki, Hatsukaichi fire department

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• “ Legend says the flame has continued burning for approximately 1,200 years without going out, making it one of Japan’s most famous sacred fires.” — Daisho-in Temple literature

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

• “The flame is also known as the source of the “Flame of Peace” at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.” — Daisho-in Temple description

Fire destroys historic hall at Miyajima temple

Daisho-in Temple plans to rebuild Reikado Hall with traditional methods, keeping the salvaged flame at a temporary site. Restoration should start in 2026, pending fire-cause investigation.

New York Times