‘Eternal flame’ still burns after fire destroys Buddhist hall in Japan that is over 1,200 years old
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Javier C. Hernandez, Hisako Ueno
TOKYO – Reikado Hall, close to the summit of Mount Misen in south-western Japan, has long stood as a sacred monument to Buddhism, housing an “eternal flame” that spiritual leaders say has been continuously lit for more than 1,200 years.
But on May 20, Reikado was reduced to a charred skeleton after a fire tore through the building, engulfing its wooden prayer rooms. No one was injured, authorities said.
The flame itself was salvaged and moved to a different site after the blaze, according to the Daisho-in Buddhist temple, which oversees the hall.
“We have received many messages of sympathy,” the Daisho-in temple said on its website. “Thank you for your concern.”
The temple added that it would work to rebuild the hall immediately.
It was the second time in recent decades that Reikado, near Hiroshima, has burned down. The hall had already been rebuilt after a fire in 2005, which was sparked accidentally during a post-typhoon clean-up. Authorities said they were investigating the cause of the latest blaze.
Temples and shrines in Japan are vulnerable as many are made from wood and feature traditional materials such as thatch and bark.
There have been several such blazes recently, including at Daihoji Temple in northern Japan, where 13 buildings were damaged in May in a fire that likely started in a kitchen.
In April, the Atago shrine in the port city of Niigata burned in a late-night fire, with the cause unknown.
Mr Tetsuya Kotaki, a fire prevention official at the Hatsukaichi fire department which led the response, said authorities received a call at 8.32am on May 20 from an official at the temple about the fire in Reikado Hall.
The blaze was brought under control about two hours later, he added.
“The response team had to bring hoses from the bottom of the hill,” he said. “The temple had a fire prevention water tank but the team used it up quickly.”
Reikado is situated at an altitude of roughly 460m on Miyajima, a sacred island and popular pilgrimage site.
The “eternal flame” is said to have been lit by Kukai, a celebrated monk who founded the Shingon school of Buddhism in the ninth century. Water boiled in an iron kettle over the flame is revered as having healing properties and bringing good fortune. NYTIMES
