The sacred island of “no women” in Japan will be the object of UNESCO
Japanese island that banned women recommended for inclusion in the list of protected historical sites by the UNESCO.
Okinoshima island in southwest Japan is considered so sacred by Shinto, that only men are allowed to visit, according to the newspaper “Asahi Shimbun”. But they are prohibited from any export of the island.
Okinoshima recommended for UNESCO heritage list; 4 other sites rejected https://t.co/LOUnZrQNNR pic.twitter.com/wvupKtpqmY
— Japan Today (@JapanToday) on may 6, 2017.
The recommendation about giving the island the status of a program object of the world heritage adopted by the Advisory Committee of UNESCO and a final decision will be made in July in Paris.
The island is a temple dedicated to the goddess of the sea. Island Okinoshima was a place where rituals were held in the name of saving distressed sailors. In the period from V to IX century on the island flocked merchants from Korea and China.
Religious prohibitions remain in force on the island until now. Arriving on the island, men are required to strip naked and undergo a rite of purification, and then never to tell about his time on the island.
“If the island will become a UNESCO world heritage site, these problems have to be solved”, — writes the newspaper “Asahi Shimbun”, noting that the island can receive tourists.
However, while not talking about lifting the ban on visiting the island women.
“Our position will remain unchanged even if the island will become a UNESCO world heritage site”, say living in a Shinto temple.