A 250-year-old wooden temple in Japan has been destroyed by a fire that started on January 17, 2013. The local police reported about the incident at the site, which has been a place of worship since the 13th century. The popular Tokumanji temple is located in the remote mountains of Nagano Prefecture.
The police said that the fire first broke out in the chief priest’s house and then spread into the main wooden hall. A local police spokesperson said that the fire then proceeded to engulf an area of around 355 square meters.
So far no injuries have been reported, but the locals are devastated by the loss of their beloved temple. The curator of the local museum said, “The temple’s history goes back to the 13th century, with the current temple building constructed in 1755”.
The curator added that the temple was one of the few buildings which survived a big earthquake in the year 1847 and that they have lost a very precious asset. The country of Japan has plenty of temples which are dedicated to various Buddhist deities. These temples are visited by the locals at certain points in the year to mark certain milestones and to pray to the deities to attain peace.
