A fire completely destroyed the Reikado building on Miyajima island in Hiroshima Prefecture on the morning of May 20, 2026 [1].
The destruction of the site is a significant loss for the region's cultural landscape. Reikado is situated near the summit of Mount Misen on a UNESCO World Heritage site and is home to a sacred flame tradition said to be about 1,200 years old [1].
Emergency responders brought the blaze under control after approximately two hours [1]. Local authorities said that no injuries occurred during the incident [1]. While the building suffered total destruction, the fire also spread to the surrounding forest [1].
This is not the first time the structure has been lost to fire. The building was previously destroyed by a full-burn incident in 2005 [1]. Following that disaster, the site was reconstructed in 2006 [1].
Officials have not yet specified the cause of the fire that broke out Wednesday morning. The site remains a critical point of pilgrimage and tourism for those visiting the Itsukushima area [1].
“The building was completely destroyed by fire.”
The repeated destruction of Reikado highlights the vulnerability of Japan's historic wooden architecture to fire, particularly in forested mountainous areas. Because the site is part of a UNESCO World Heritage environment and maintains a millennium-old tradition, the focus will likely shift toward whether new reconstruction efforts will incorporate modern fire-suppression technologies to prevent a third total loss.
