1,200-Year-Old Japanese Temple Destroyed by ‘Eternal Flame’

A devastating fire has destroyed a 1,200-year-old Buddhist temple in Japan after flames from its famed “eternal flame” spread through the historic structure, reducing it to ashes on Wednesday.

Dramatic footage showed Reikado Hall, a revered sacred site perched high on Mount Misen on Itsukushima Island near Hiroshima, engulfed in towering flames as thick smoke billowed into the sky. Despite the rapid response of dozens of firefighters and the deployment of a firefighting helicopter, the blaze consumed the ancient wooden building, leaving behind only a charred and blackened shell.

The temple, located within a UNESCO World Heritage area, was renowned for its “eternal flame,” believed to have burned continuously since it was first lit in 806 AD by the Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi, one of Japan’s most celebrated religious figures and the founder of Shingon Buddhism. For more than twelve centuries, the flame has symbolized spiritual endurance and peace.

The sacred fire is also said to have inspired the Flame of Peace at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which commemorates the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. The memorial flame was designed to burn until all nuclear weapons are abolished, echoing the symbolism of the temple’s eternal fire as a beacon of hope for a world free of nuclear destruction.

Reikado Hall had endured centuries of hardship, surviving repeated damage from natural disasters and previous fires. A major blaze in 2005 had already severely damaged the structure, prompting restoration efforts to preserve its historical and spiritual significance.

The latest destruction marks a profound cultural loss for Japan, as the hall was not only an important place of worship but also a treasured link to the country’s ancient Buddhist heritage. Authorities are now investigating the exact cause of the fire and assessing whether the iconic site can once again be rebuilt.

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