The ancient temple 'Entsu-ji' in Saga Prefecture, Japan, with a history of nearly 650 years, was struck by a fire at the end of June, reducing the entire precious wooden temple to ashes. After an in-depth investigation into the cause of the fire, local police arrested a 28-year-old suspect on the 6th, who turned out to be an apprentice monk within the temple, Yoshiki Morinaga.
The man confessed to his crime after being arrested, revealing that he could not bear the harsh daily training and even stated in despair: 'Everything in life is wearisome.'
According to Yomiuri Shimbun, this arson incident that has drawn attention in Japan occurred at around 3:30 a.m. on June 30. Entsu-ji was suddenly engulfed in raging flames, which raged for nearly 7 hours before being brought under control. This late-night blaze not only completely destroyed the temple’s main hall and living quarters known as the 'kuri,' but also turned this local historical and cultural landmark into ruins in an instant.
The 28-year-old apprentice monk involved in the case admitted that he had long harbored strong resentment towards the temple’s disciplinary practices and the burden of intensive training. He told police that during regular group meditation, he was struck by his master with a 'zen stick' on the shoulders and back noticeably more times than other apprentice monks. Feeling he suffered 'unfair treatment' and overwhelmed by mounting training pressure, he chose to set the fire in a psychological state of 'complete despair with life' as an act of venting his anger.
Located in Imari City, Entsu-ji was built around the 1370s and is a temple with a long history in the area. Since the fire broke out late at night and the main buildings were all made of wood, the fire spread uncontrollably. Fortunately, the chief monk was out at the time, and another apprentice monk managed to escape, so there were no casualties.