[estreeper]

Not to mention various other wars and random fires, such as the Ōnin War 応仁の乱 in the 1400s, a civil war between many feudal lords, which destroyed much of Kyoto among other areas.

The world's oldest extant wooden structure is the Kondō (main hall) of the temple Hōryū-ji 法隆寺 in Ikaruga, in the Nara Prefecture of Japan. It was initially built in 607 but completely burned down due to lightning. It was rebuilt in 670, but again nearly burned down by accident in 1949 [1].

It's interesting to contemplate how across these timescales war, disasters, and accidents make it so difficult for structures to survive.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%8Dry%C5%AB-ji