World Heritage Site : Munakata and Okinoshima, and Associated Sites 2026

Under the moonlight, ancient songs are sung as shrine maidens perform solemn dances amid the glow of bonfires and lanterns. This atmospheric ritual is Takamiya Kannabi-sai, held on October 3 as the finale of Munakata Taisha’s annual Autumn Grand Festival.

In July 2017, the “Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region” was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The property consists of eight component parts: Okinoshima, Koyajima, Mikadobashira, Tenguiwa, Okitsu-miya Yohaisho (Remote Worship Hall), Nakatsu-miya, Hetsu-miya, and the Shimbaru-Nuyama Mounded Tomb Group.

The property preserves ancient ritual sites on Okinoshima together with living traditions of worship associated with the Three Female Deities of Munakata. Around 80,000 votive objects have been unearthed from Okinoshima, many of which reflect exchanges between the Japanese archipelago, the Korean Peninsula, and the Asian continent from the 4th to the 9th centuries.

The Munakata Taisha Autumn Grand Festival is held over three days each year, from October 1 through October 3.

Munakata Taisha consists of three distinct worship sites spread across roughly 60 kilometers: Okitsu-miya on Okinoshima, Nakatsu-miya on Oshima, and Hetsu-miya on the Kyushu mainland. According to Japanese mythology, the Three Female Deities of Munakata were born from Amaterasu Omikami and have long been worshipped as deities who protect routes and travel.

The festival begins with the Miare Festival. Tagorihime-no-kami of Okitsu-miya and Tagitsuhime-no-kami of Nakatsu-miya are welcomed to Hetsu-miya, where Ichikishimahime-no-kami is enshrined. About 100 fishing boats from the traditional Munakata coastal communities accompany the sacred boat from Oshima toward Konominato, flying colorful fishing flags and streamers in a spectacular sea procession.

After arriving at Konominato, the sacred procession continues to Hetsu-miya. During the festival, prayers are offered for peace, abundant harvests, plentiful fishing, and safety at sea, and traditional performances including Okina-mai, local folk dance, Urayasu-mai, and yabusame horseback archery are dedicated.

The Autumn Grand Festival concludes on October 3 with Takamiya Kannabi-sai. Takamiya Saijo is an ancient ritual site without a shrine building and is traditionally regarded as the place where Ichikishimahime-no-kami descended. On the evening of October 3, sacred dance and traditional songs are offered in gratitude for the successful completion of the festival and in prayer for the enduring divine protection of the Three Female Deities of Munakata.

Okinoshima is a sacred island located about 60 kilometers from the coast of Munakata. From the latter half of the 4th century through the end of the 9th century, rituals for safe maritime travel were conducted there during a period of intensive exchange with East Asia. The island preserves virtually intact archaeological ritual sites, and around 80,000 votive objects have been unearthed, including items originating from the Korean Peninsula, China, and farther west. Many of these treasures can be seen at the Shinpokan museum at Munakata Taisha Hetsu-miya.

The entire island forms the precinct of Okitsu-miya. Koyajima, Mikadobashira, and Tenguiwa, three small rocky islets near Okinoshima, are also part of the sacred landscape. Strict taboos and restrictions have protected the island for centuries, and today members of the public are not permitted to land; access is limited to Munakata Taisha priests.

Even after the ancient ritual practices on Okinoshima ended, worship of the island continued. Traditional taboos include not speaking of what is seen or heard on the island, not removing even a single object from it, and performing purification in the sea before landing. Munakata Taisha priests continue to serve on the island and observe these traditions.

Munakata Taisha Okitsu-miya on Okinoshima

Because the general public cannot visit Okinoshima, a tradition of worshipping the island from afar has been maintained in the Munakata region. Okitsu-miya Yohaisho on the northern coast of Oshima serves as a worship hall facing Okinoshima, about 48 kilometers away. A worship site existed at this location by at least the mid-18th century, while the present building was reconstructed in 1933.

Located within Munakata Taisha Hetsu-miya, the Shinpokan museum houses and displays around 80,000 National Treasure artifacts excavated from the ritual sites of Okinoshima, including bronze mirrors, ornaments, weapons, horse gear, and earthenware. It also exhibits Important Cultural Properties and historical documents handed down by Munakata Taisha.

Located in Fukutsu City, the Shimbaru-Nuyama Mounded Tomb Group was built by the ancient Munakata clan, who were involved in overseas exchange and in the rituals of Okinoshima. Forty-one burial mounds dating from the 5th and 6th centuries remain in good condition: five keyhole-shaped mounds, thirty-five round mounds, and one square mound. From the viewpoint on the eastern side of the site, visitors can look out over the sea toward Oshima and Okinoshima.

Orihata Shrine: A historic shrine in the fishing community of Kanesaki

Orihata Shrine stands on Mt. Sayagata at Cape Kanesaki in Munakata City. The shrine has long been associated with the local fishing community and enshrines Takeuchi no Sukune as its principal deity. The grounds include Kutsuzuka, a mound linked by tradition to the footwear Takeuchi no Sukune left behind, as well as a monument to the area’s ama diving culture.

Behind the shrine is the protected natural forest known as the “Inumaki Natural Forest of Orihata Shrine,” designated a natural monument by Fukuoka Prefecture. The approach to the shrine includes a long, steep flight of roughly 200 steps.

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