Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple closed following arson that destroyed 'irreplaceable' historical documents

January 04, 2024 / 10:53 am

caption: Smoke can be seen coming from the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple on New Year's Eve

The Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, a hub for the local Japanese American community, is closed after an arsonist set fire to the building, police say.

Late on New Year's Eve, a fire broke out in the basement of the temple, located on the edge of the Chinatown-International District.

Alex Sakamoto, a board member of the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, said the basement held irreplaceable historical archives. These documents dated back to the founding of the temple in 1901.

"A lot of those archived documents that were destroyed in the fire were related to the war — our members being interned in the internment camps during World War II," Sakamoto said.

caption: Members of Women's Buddhist Association, in front of the Seattle Buddhist Temple at 1020 Main Street, in 1933. The temple is currently located at 1427 South Main Street.

Other records that were damaged include, photos, yearbooks, and financial records. Religious items that were in the basement were also damaged or lost.

Items that were used for community gatherings and festivals like the Seattle Bon-Odori dancing festival were also damaged. The 91st festival was held last summer, which was the first time the event took place since the pandemic started.

"We have a lot of community gatherings, so we've really been rooted in this community for so long. It affects the entire Seattle community and not just the temple members," Sakamoto said.

There is extensive smoke and water damage throughout the building. The smoke also damaged the main altar, which will be sent back to Japan to be professionally refurbished and restored.

caption: The Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple's main altar before the New Year's Eve fire. Due to smoke damage, the altar will be sent back to Japan to be professionally refurbished and restored.

"We're still working on the clean up. We aren't really sure of the cost right now, but it looks significant," Sakamoto said.

According to documents from the King County Prosecutor's Office, a 42-year-old man was arrested in connection with the temple arson. He remains in custody and is being held on $40,000 bond. Police are not investigating the fire as a hate crime.

The temple has canceled all events and is closed until further notice. A donation page has been set up on the temple's website.