Visit Okinoshima — a speck of commonwealth off the coast of Kyushu , Japan ’s third largest island — and you ’ll see no female faces . Only military man are provide to travel to the island , which is home to a sacred religious shrine honoring a goddess of the sea . As BBC News account , this men - only island is now up for UNESCO World Heritage status , along with four other culturally significant sites in Japan .
Long ago , between the 4th and ninth hundred , sailors comport rites at the shrine to ensure that their ship stay safe at sea . The island was also the website of numerous cultural exchanges between the Japanese and hoi polloi of the Korean Peninsula . artifact unearthed on the island have include chicken feed loving cup sherd believed to be from Persia , gold ring from the Korean Peninsula , and other treasures , consort toThe Telegraph .
Nobody quite cognise why adult female are n’t allowed on Okinoshima , but we do know that the principle date back to ancient time . Multiple theory exist , include that it was too dangerous for childbearing fair sex to move from the mainland , or that distaff pilgrims were study " impure " because they flow .
manful visitors have their own Seth of road map to follow : Once they ’ve arrived on Okinoshima , they ’re required to take off their habiliment and perform a cleaning rite . They ’re also not allowed to take any items home — big or small — from the island , or blab out about their misstep once they ’ve returned home .
This codify hardening of instructions is n’t exactly conducive to touristry , which will surely develop if Okinoshima ends up being register on the World Heritage leaning . Religious official say they ’ll deal with any issues as they arise , but that they ’re not make any exception for women visitant . ( That said , we know of a United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization - recognizedmatriarchal islandoff the coast of Estonia that will welcome them with open arms . )
[ h / tBBC News ]
