Women Forbidden, Men Must Be Nude & Purified to Land on Japan’s Mysterious Okinoshima Island, Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site

At the 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Japan’s Okinoshima Island (Japanese: 冲ノ島), a small island in the Munakata region of Fukuoka Prefecture, along with eight related heritage sites, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, becoming Japan’s 21st such designation.

Located in the Genkai Sea about 60 kilometers off the coast of Kyushu, Okinoshima is considered a sacred place in Japan. Aside from Shinto priests serving at the Okitsu Shrine (Okinoshima’s branch of Munakata Taisha), no residents live on the island, making it effectively a “no-man’s land.” Due to religious restrictions, women have been prohibited from entering the island to this day, and men can only set foot on it after undergoing a purification ritual held annually on May 27. Moreover, once on the island, all visitors must adhere to a strict code of silence regarding any details of their experience.

In the religious belief surrounding Okinoshima, the island itself is regarded as the embodiment of the goddess Tagorihime. No plants or objects on the island may be damaged or taken away by visitors. Ironically, this has led to the preservation of a wealth of precious ritual offerings. Around 80,000 artifacts unearthed from the shrine’s ritual site—such as a Persian gold ring and a Korean glass cup—have all been designated as national treasures.

The 41st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee was held in Kraków, Poland, from July 2 to 12. Regarding the nomination of Okinoshima, the World Heritage Committee concluded that the island has played a significant role in ensuring safe sea voyages since ancient times, and holds considerable cultural and historical value within Japanese society that cannot be overlooked.