Society

500-Year-Old Sacred Tree Burns at Ibaraki Shrine

IBARAKI, Sep 19 (News On Japan) - A fire broke out at a shrine in Ami-machi, Ibaraki Prefecture, burning a sacred tree over 500 years old, with police investigating the cause as a lightning strike.

A man living nearby called 119 at around 4:45 pm on Wednesday to report that "smoke was coming out of the tree" in the grounds of Kashima Shrine in Ami-machi.

According to police and other sources, the sacred tree was on fire, but no one was injured.

The sacred tree, designated as a natural monument, is a cedar tree over 500 years old, with another tree growing in the hollow of the trunk.

At the time, there was heavy rain and thunder around the site, and police are investigating the cause of the fire as a lightning strike.

Source: ANN

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