Reikado hall on Miyajima island, linked to Buddhist saint Kukai, burns to the ground

Firefighters received an emergency call at around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday about a fire at the Reikado hall, which belongs to Daishoin, a main temple of the Omuro School of Shingon Buddhism founded in 806 by Kukai. Flames spread into nearby woodland on the island, but no one was hurt.

The Reikado hall, located near the summit of Mount Misen, houses an 'eternal flame' that the temple says has been burning for nearly 1,200 years since Kukai started the fire for a goma prayer (a Buddhist ritual) as a monk.

The hall was completely destroyed in the fire.