, officially Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region, is a group of sites in northwest Kyūshū, Japan, that was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017, under criteria ii and iii.
Background The three Munakata kami are said in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki to be daughters of Amaterasu, spawned upon the sun-goddess' consumption of giant swords. Okitsu-Miya on the island of Okinoshima is part of the Shinto shrine complex of Munakata Taisha; no formal shrine buildings were constructed on the island; instead rock piles or yorishiro provided the focus for veneration. Over 80,000 artefacts were ritually deposited at the site from the fourth to the tenth centuries. These have been designated a National Treasure. They include mirrors and bronze dragon-head finials from Wei China; gold rings and horse-trappings similar to those found in Silla tombs in Korea; and fragments of a glass bowl from Sassanian Persia. The , powerful local rulers, controlled the route to the continent and "presided over the rituals". The many kofun or tumuli in the area are believed to be their burial ground.
Component Sites Site Municipality Comments Image CoordinatesOkinoshimaOkinoshima Munakata the island's primeval forest is a Natural Monument and the island a Wildlife Protection Area Munakata Taisha - Okitsu-MiyaMunakata Jinja keidai - Okitsumiya Munakata on the island of Okinoshima; is enshrined; the precincts of Munakata Taisha are an Historic Site Munakata Taisha - Nakatsu-MiyaMunakata Jinja keidai - Nakatsumiya Munakata on the island of Ōshima; is enshrined Munakata Taisha - Hetsu-MiyaMunakata Jinja keidai - Hetsumiya Munakata on the mainland of Kyūshū; is enshrined; the ICP honden and haiden date respectively to 1578 and 1590 Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Shinbaru-Nuyama Tumulus ClusterTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Shinbaru-Nuyama kofun-gun Fukutsu On the mainland, five keyhole-shaped tumuli, one square tumulus, and 41 round tumuli within sight of the island of Okinoshima, believed to be the 5th - 6th century graves of the Munakata clan chieftains
Original submission The following sites were included in the original nomination, but were excluded from the final inscription:
Site Municipality Image CoordinatesTsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Katsuura Takahara Tumulus ClusterTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Katsuura Takahara kofun-gun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Katsuura Minenohata TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Katsuura Minenohata kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Katsuura Inoura TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Katsuura Inoura kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Yukue Ōtsuka TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Yukue Ōtsuka kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Ōishi Okanotani TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Ōishi Okanotani kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Sudata Kaminokuchi TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Sudata Kaminokuchi kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Sudata Amafurijinja TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Sudata Amafurijinja kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Sudata Shimonokuchi TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Sudata Shimonokuchi kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Sudata Misotsuka TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Sudata Misotsuka kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Sudata Nitatsuka TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Sudata Nitatsuka kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Araji Tsurugizuka TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Araji Tsurugizuka kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Miyajidake TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Miyajidake kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Miyaji Idenokami TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Miyaji Idenokami kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Tebika Namikirifudō TumulusTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Tebika Namikirifudō kofun Fukutsu Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Tebika Yunoura Tumulus ClusterTsuyazaki kofun-gun - Tebika Yunoura kofun Fukutsu Sakurakyō TumulusSakurakyō kofun Munakata Tōgō Takatsuka TumulusTōgō Takatsuka kofun Munakata
See also
List of National Treasures of Japan (archaeological materials) Yorishiro World Heritage Sites in Japan
References
External links Okinoshima Island and Related Sites in Munakata Region Proposal document Pamphlet