Ancient Worship Transcending Time: Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region

Overview

Remote Okinoshima is the "island where the deities dwell" where Shinto beliefs originated. It is the spiritual home to the Japanese people. Restricted public access to the island means that valuable artifacts offered to the deities have been preserved almost intact. Ancient Japanese believed deities resided in the island's huge rocks; many of those beliefs survive among the locals to this day.