| Location: | Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan |
| Criteria: | (ii)(iii) |
| Id: | 1535 |
| Coordinates: | 34.245°N 130.1056°W |
| Year: | 2017 |
| Area: | 98.93ha |
| Buffer Zone: | 79363.48ha |
, 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.[1]
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.[2] [3] 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.[4] Over 80,000 artefacts were ritually deposited at the site from the fourth to the tenth centuries.[1] These have been designated a National Treasure.[5] [6] 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.[2] The, powerful local rulers, controlled the route to the continent and "presided over the rituals".[1] [2] The many kofun or tumuli in the area are believed to be their burial ground.[1]
| Site | Municipality | Comments | Image | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okinoshima Okinoshima | the island's primeval forest is a Natural Monument and the island a Wildlife Protection Area[7] [8] | 34.2468°N 130.1041°W | ||
| Munakata Taisha - Okitsu-Miya Munakata Jinja keidai - Okitsumiya | on the island of Okinoshima; is enshrined; the precincts of Munakata Taisha are an Historic Site[9] | 34.2414°N 130.1039°W | ||
| Munakata Taisha - Nakatsu-Miya Munakata Jinja keidai - Nakatsumiya | on the island of Ōshima; is enshrined | 33.897°N 130.4322°W | ||
| Munakata Taisha - Hetsu-Miya Munakata Jinja keidai - Hetsumiya | on the mainland of Kyūshū; is enshrined; the ICP honden and haiden date respectively to 1578 and 1590[10] [11] | 33.8311°N 130.5143°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Shinbaru-Nuyama Tumulus Cluster Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Shinbaru-Nuyama kofun-gun | 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 | 33.8164°N 130.4878°W | ||
The following sites were included in the original nomination, but were excluded from the final inscription:[12] [13]
| Site | Municipality | Image | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Katsuura Takahara Tumulus Cluster Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Katsuura Takahara kofun-gun | 33.8413°N 130.4877°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Katsuura Minenohata Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Katsuura Minenohata kofun | 33.8376°N 130.4856°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Katsuura Inoura Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Katsuura Inoura kofun | 33.8377°N 130.4862°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Yukue Ōtsuka Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Yukue Ōtsuka kofun | 33.8107°N 130.4839°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Ōishi Okanotani Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Ōishi Okanotani kofun | 33.8041°N 130.4843°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Sudata Kaminokuchi Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Sudata Kaminokuchi kofun | 33.8029°N 130.4835°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Sudata Amafurijinja Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Sudata Amafurijinja kofun | 33.8035°N 130.4818°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Sudata Shimonokuchi Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Sudata Shimonokuchi kofun | 33.8027°N 130.4817°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Sudata Misotsuka Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Sudata Misotsuka kofun | 33.8025°N 130.4804°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Sudata Nitatsuka Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Sudata Nitatsuka kofun | 33.8044°N 130.4784°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Araji Tsurugizuka Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Araji Tsurugizuka kofun | 33.7963°N 130.4862°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Miyajidake Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Miyajidake kofun | 33.7806°N 130.4884°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Miyaji Idenokami Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Miyaji Idenokami kofun | 33.7787°N 130.4893°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Tebika Namikirifudō Tumulus Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Tebika Namikirifudō kofun | 33.7717°N 130.4997°W | ||
| Tsuyazaki Tumulus Cluster - Tebika Yunoura Tumulus Cluster Tsuyazaki kofun-gun - Tebika Yunoura kofun | 33.7785°N 130.492°W | ||
| Sakurakyō Tumulus Sakurakyō kofun | 33.8439°N 130.4953°W | ||
| Tōgō Takatsuka Tumulus Tōgō Takatsuka kofun | 33.7989°N 130.5407°W | ||