Daishoin Temple: Japan’s 1,200-Year-Old Buddhist Treasure and Its Eternal Flame

Overview

The Daishoin Temple on Japan’s Miyajima Island recently suffered a heartbreaking loss. A fire destroyed the Reikado Hall, a sacred building that housed a flame said to have been burning continuously for 1,200 years. The fire broke out on 20 May 2026 and burned for nearly 16 hours before being fully extinguished. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The flame itself was saved because the temple had already moved a copy of it to another location. The Reikado Hall had been rebuilt once before, after a fire in 2005. Now, the temple faces another difficult rebuilding.

Where Is Daishoin Temple Located?

Daishoin Temple is on Miyajima Island in the Chugoku region of Japan. Miyajima is also called Itsukushima. It is a small island in the Seto Inland Sea, off the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture. The nearest major city is Hiroshima. The temple lies at the base of Mount Misen, the tallest mountain on Miyajima. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Area that includes the famous Itsukushima Shrine.

A Temple Founded by a Legendary Monk

The temple was founded in the year 806 by Kobo Daishi, also known as Kukai. Kobo Daishi is one of Japan’s most famous Buddhist monks. He created the Shingon school of Buddhism in Japan. He travelled to China to study Buddhism and returned with deep knowledge. After coming back, he performed a 100-day Buddhist training on Mount Misen and founded Daishoin Temple. The temple is the oldest on Itsukushima Island. It was once the head temple of one branch of Shingon Buddhism. By an order of Emperor Toba, it became a place to pray for the peace and security of Japan. Even Emperor Meiji stayed there in 1885.

The Reikado Hall and the Eternal Flame

The Reikado Hall was a special building within the Daishoin Temple complex. It was located near the summit of Mount Misen. The hall was famous for housing the "eternal flame," also called Kiezu-no-hi. According to temple tradition, Kobo Daishi lit this flame during a goma prayer ritual when he founded the temple. That was more than 1,200 years ago, in 806. The flame is said to have been burning continuously ever since. People believed that drinking water boiled with this flame could cure many illnesses. This belief attracted many visitors to the hall.

The Fire of May 2026

On the morning of 20 May 2026, temple officials reported a fire at the Reikado Hall. Firefighters rushed to the scene. The fire burned for nearly two hours before being brought under control. But the Reikado Hall was completely destroyed. A wooden annex building next to it also burned down. The fire was not fully extinguished until 12:08 am on 21 May, meaning it burned for about 16 hours in total. Fortunately, no one was injured.

The fire caused other problems too. Mount Misen was closed to visitors. The Miyajima Ropeway, a cable car that takes tourists to the mountain top, was stopped from running. The ropeway remained closed until safety checks could be completed.

The Eternal Flame Survived

There is good news. The eternal flame itself was not lost. The temple had already moved a copy of the flame to another location. So the fire did not destroy the sacred fire. The temple said the flame "was not affected" by the disaster. This means the flame can still be used in the future. However, the building that housed it for so many centuries