A fire gutted the Reikado Hall of Daishoin Temple on Wednesday, destroying the site of a sacred eternal flame [2].

The loss represents a significant cultural blow to the region, as the hall housed a flame said to have burned continuously for more than 1,200 years [1].

The incident occurred May 20, 2026 [2] at the temple located on Miyajima Island in Hatsukaichi city, Hiroshima Prefecture [3]. Local authorities and Buddhist spiritual leaders said the blaze consumed the historic structure.

Officials have not yet detailed the cause of the fire. The Reikado Hall served as the specific sanctuary for the eternal flame, a symbol of spiritual continuity and endurance for the community and visiting pilgrims.

Daishoin Temple is one of the most prominent religious sites on Miyajima Island. The destruction of the hall marks the end of a physical lineage that spanned more than a millennium [1]. Efforts to assess the total damage, and determine if any remnants of the sacred site can be recovered, are ongoing.

Local authorities said the fire focused on the Reikado Hall, though they did not report casualties in the immediate aftermath of the blaze. The temple remains a focal point of spiritual life in Hiroshima Prefecture, and the loss of the eternal flame's housing is viewed as a profound tragedy by the Buddhist leadership [1].

“A fire gutted the Reikado Hall of Daishoin Temple on Wednesday.”

The destruction of the Reikado Hall highlights the ongoing vulnerability of Japan's ancient wooden architectural heritage to fire. Because the flame was a symbol of uninterrupted continuity for over 1,200 years, its loss creates a spiritual and historical void that cannot be replaced by reconstruction alone.