Fire gutted the Reikado hall of Daishoin Temple on Hiroshima's Miyajima island on the morning of 20 May, destroying a structure of profound cultural significance. The hall was best known for housing the Kiezu-no-hi, or "inextinguishable flame", which tradition holds had been burning continuously since the monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) first lit it in 806. Firefighters battled the blaze for roughly two hours, containing it before it could spread to surrounding forest. No injuries were reported, and local authorities confirmed that the flame itself had been safely transferred to an alternative location, preserved from the disaster that consumed its home.

Daishoin is the oldest Buddhist temple on Miyajima, a sacred island famed for its floating torii gate and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Reikado hall stood along the popular hiking route to Mount Misen, attracting countless pilgrims and tourists drawn by the spiritual aura of the eternal flame. The fire was reported just after 8:30 a.m., and from Tokyo officials noted the fortuitous timing—the hall was not crowded, averting any loss of life. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, though some accounts suggest the flame itself may have inadvertently sparked the fire, a bitter irony given its symbolic constancy.

The incident underscores the vulnerability of Japan's ancient wooden temple complexes to fire, a risk that has destroyed other heritage sites in recent years. Viewed from a global perspective, the preservation of the Kiezu-no-hi offers a slender consolation; the flame's uninterrupted lineage will continue, though its material shelter lies in ashes. For the local community and the Omuro school of Buddhism, the focus now shifts to rebuilding. The salvage of the sacred beacon means that, when Reikado is eventually restored, its heart can once again reside within its walls—a thread of continuity stretching back twelve centuries.