The Guardian reports Japan’s oldest existing toilet was damaged when a car accidentally reversed into the structure in Kyoto Monday.
An employee of the Kyoto Heritage Preservation Association crashed his car through the building’s wooden door, causing extensive damage to the cherished landmark.
The communal loo — essentially holes cut into blocks of stone — is estimated to be at least 500 years old and was constructed during the country’s Muromachi period, which began in 1336 and ended in 1573. The row of old toilets, also known as the “tosu” restroom, was inside of an old Zen Buddhist temple. Apparently the washroom remained in use until about 1868, or the start of the Meiji era.
The door leading into the old structure and some interior pillars were damaged in the accident, but officials are optimistic the damage can be repaired.
The temple’s director, Toshio Ishikawa, said, “We’d like to restore it before the autumn foliage season, but it will probably take until the new year [to repair it].”