UNESCO · Cultural · 2017
Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region
「神宿る島」宗像・沖ノ島と関連遺産群「かみやどるしま」むなかた・おきのしまとかんれんいさんぐんKami Yadoru Shima Munakata, Okinoshima to Kanren Isan-gunThe island where the gods live, untouched for a thousand years
The Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region in Fukuoka Prefecture comprise an island some 60 km off the coast of Kyushu, worshipped as a deity and preserving ritual sites of the 4th to 9th centuries, together with the three sanctuaries of Munakata Taisha and the tombs of the Munakata clan. Inscribed in 2017, the island remains closed to ordinary visitors.
Overview
Okinoshima is a small, forested island in the Genkai Sea, halfway between Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula on the ancient sea route to the continent. From the late 4th to the late 9th century, rituals for safe passage were performed here among the island's giant rocks, and the offerings were left where they lay. Excavations after 1954 found some 80,000 objects at 23 ritual sites — bronze mirrors, iron weapons, jewellery, a gold ring from the Korean kingdom of Silla, Chinese ceramics and fragments of a cut-glass bowl from Persia — all of them designated National Treasures.
The finds show how rituals changed over five centuries: first on top of the rocks, then in their shade, then partly in the open and finally on open ground. This sequence documents the development of worship that would later form part of Shinto, from offerings at natural features to rites at dedicated places.
The island has always been treated as a deity. By custom women may not land, men had to purify themselves in the sea before landing, nothing may be removed, and what is seen there may not be spoken of. The worship of Okinoshima continues through Munakata Taisha, whose three sanctuaries — Okitsu-miya on Okinoshima, Nakatsu-miya on the island of Oshima and Hetsu-miya on the mainland — are dedicated to three sister goddesses. The Shinbaru-Nuyama tombs record the Munakata clan who maintained these rituals.
Why it is World Heritage
UNESCO recognised two criteria. Okinoshima bears exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition of worship of a sacred island that has continued from the 4th century to the present, and its undisturbed ritual sites record the evolution of that worship over five centuries (criterion iii).
The offerings, many brought from the Korean Peninsula, China and as far as Central Asia and Persia, reflect intense exchanges between the Japanese archipelago and the Asian continent at a formative period, in which ritual practice and the idea of a sacred island took shape (criterion ii).
The taboos that have kept Okinoshima intact are an integral part of its value. The advisory body ICOMOS had recommended inscribing only the island and its reefs; the World Heritage Committee included the associated shrines and tombs, recognising the living tradition that connects them.
Component sites
Okinoshima
沖ノ島OkinoshimaThe sacred island itself, site of Okitsu-miya shrine and of 23 ritual sites among its rocks; a primeval forest covers its slopes. A single priest of Munakata Taisha serves on the island in rotation.
Koyabizejima, Mikadobashira and Tenguiwa
小屋島・御門柱・天狗岩Koyabizejima, Mikadobashira, TenguiwaThree reefs around Okinoshima regarded as part of the sacred island; Mikadobashira and Tenguiwa are seen as the gate pillars of the shrine.
Okitsu-miya Yohaisho
宗像大社沖津宮遙拝所Munakata Taisha Okitsu-miya YōhaishoA worship hall on the north shore of Oshima, from which Okinoshima can be venerated across the sea on clear days.
Munakata Taisha Nakatsu-miya
宗像大社中津宮Munakata Taisha Nakatsu-miyaThe middle sanctuary on Oshima, dedicated to Tagitsuhime, with a ritual site at the foot of Mount Mitake.
Munakata Taisha Hetsu-miya
宗像大社辺津宮Munakata Taisha Hetsu-miyaThe main shrine on the mainland in Munakata, dedicated to Ichikishimahime, with the Takamiya ritual site; its treasure hall displays the Okinoshima finds.
Shinbaru-Nuyama Mounded Tomb Group
新原・奴山古墳群Shinbaru-Nuyama Kofun-gunForty-one kofun of the 5th and 6th centuries on a terrace in Fukutsu overlooking the sea towards Oshima and Okinoshima, burial places of the Munakata clan.
History
Late 4th c.
Ritual offerings begin on the rocks of Okinoshima.
7th–8th c.
Rituals move into the open; state-sponsored rites reflect the Yamato court's interest in the sea route.
Late 9th c.
Large-scale rituals on Okinoshima end after official missions to Tang China cease.
1954–1971
Three campaigns of excavation uncover some 80,000 ritual objects.
2017
Inscription on the World Heritage List with all eight components.
2018
Munakata Taisha ends the annual landing of lay visitors, closing the island to all but its priests.
Visiting
- Okinoshima cannot be visited; the island is closed to everyone except the priests of Munakata Taisha.
- Hetsu-miya, with its treasure hall showing the finds from Okinoshima, is reached by bus from Togo Station on the JR Kagoshima Line, between Fukuoka and Kitakyushu.
- Oshima, with Nakatsu-miya and the Okitsu-miya Yohaisho, is reached by ferry from Konominato port in about 25 minutes; Okinoshima is visible from the north of the island on clear days.
- The Miare-sai on 1 October opens the shrine's autumn festival with a procession of decorated fishing boats carrying the deities from Oshima to the mainland.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit Okinoshima?
No. The island is a sacred deity and is closed to the public; since 2018 even the annual landing of a limited group of men has been discontinued.
Why are women not allowed on Okinoshima?
The prohibition is a long-standing religious taboo of the island's worship. Today it has little practical effect, since the island is closed to all visitors regardless of gender.
Where can the Okinoshima treasures be seen?
Many of the National Treasure finds are displayed in the Shinpokan treasure hall of Munakata Taisha Hetsu-miya on the mainland.
Who are the Munakata goddesses?
Three sisters, Tagorihime, Tagitsuhime and Ichikishimahime, worshipped at Okitsu-miya, Nakatsu-miya and Hetsu-miya respectively as protectors of seafaring.
Related
Sources
- 1.Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 2.日本の世界遺産一覧 (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁
- 3.宗像大社 (opens in a new tab) — 宗像大社