In the list of UNESCO included the island-goddess in Japan. There only men are allowed in (and what they do, no one knows for sure)
UNESCO expands list of world heritage sites under the protection of the UN. It added eight places, including the monastery of the reserve “Ostrov-grad Sviyazhsk” in Zelenodolsk district of Tatarstan, the Venetian fortifications in Croatia and Montenegro, and the municipality of Taputapuatea on the island of Raiatea in French Polynesia. “Medusa” has decided to tell about the most mysterious place, included in the list, the sacred Japanese island Okinoshima where only men are allowed. What happens on the island, nobody knows — all visited it is prohibited to talk about their experiences.
Okinoshima included in the reserved region of Munakata and the complex of temples in the Prefecture of Fukuoka. In accordance with the beliefs of Shinto, the whole island is an incarnation of the goddess Tagore-hime, patroness of seafarers and one of the three daughters of the goddess of the sun Amaterasu and the God of wind susanoo. Included with the island the status of a world heritage site were received and three of the surrounding reef, and the sanctuary on the neighboring island of Oshima, which also revered the goddess, but from afar.
On a piece of land measuring just 700 square meters, archaeologists discovered how two dozen of the remains of ritual buildings, and about 80 thousand offerings to the goddess, including jewelry and weapons. The reason for this wealth is in the location of the island. Okinoshima is located 60 kilometers off the West coast of Kyushu island, between the Japanese archipelago and the Korean Peninsula, where up to IX centuries were lively trade routes. On the island prayed for the sailors, and they brought gifts to the goddess for salvation.
According to experts, all the gifts and rituals to Okinoshima remained almost unchanged due to the rigid taboo is one of not only the oldest, but least-visited shrines in Japan. Still to get to the island can be only men. Either the priests of the local cult (Tagore-hime dedicated operating temple of the XVII century, and reconstructed in 1932), or the male pilgrims. Just to worship the goddess may be no more than two hundred people and only once a year.
Island to visit open may 27, the day of remembrance of the sailors who died in the battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese war.
Near the sanctuary of the patroness of seafarers Tagore-hime, open to the public, is located on the neighbouring island of Oshima. It has a view of the outlines of the island Okinoshima Imaki Hidekazu / World Heritage Promotion Committee.