MAEBASHI -- Heat from lighting equipment used to film a drama has left a scorch mark on the floor of Rinkokaku, a national important cultural property in this eastern Japan city, the municipal government said April 24.

The 12-centimeter diameter scorch mark was made during a drama was filmed by internet television station AbemaTV, based in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. The filming has reportedly been temporarily halted.

According to the city's cultural property protection division, a floorboard of a wooden corridor outside a large hall on the second floor of Rinkokaku's annex was damaged. The incident occurred at around 8 a.m. on April 23, during equipment setup. One of the lighting units overheated, melting a blue tarp laid on the floor, apparently after the power wasn't turned off.

This was the second filming session since April 16. Though another session was scheduled for the end of this month, the municipal government has revoked permission following this incident until safety measures can be assured. The city plans to report the incident to the Gunma Prefectural Government and the Agency for Cultural Affairs and discuss repair plans.

Rinkokaku was built during the Meiji era (1868-1912) as a guesthouse and was designated as a national important cultural property in 2018.

(Japanese original by Sakae Kato, Maebashi Bureau)