Munakata-taisha Nakatsugu Shrine

Munakata Taisha is the head shrine of Munakata Shrine, Itsukushima Shrine, and three other shrines enshrining the three Munakata Goddesses.
It is the general name of three shrines: Okitsumiya Shrine on Okinoshima Island, Nakatsumiya Shrine on Chikuzen Oshima Island, and Henzumiya Shrine (the head shrine) on Tajima in Munakata City.

There is also an Okitsumiya Haruhosho (Yeongtsumiya Shrine) on Chikuzen Oshima, and Nakatsumiya Shrine is 11 km away from Henzumiya Shrine on the map, and Okitsumiya Shrine is another 49 km away, all in a straight line.

It is one of the oldest shrines in Japan, with its history recorded in the Chronicles of Japan, and has been a maritime route for politics, economy, and culture between the continent and the peninsula since ancient times.

The entire island of Okinoshima, where Okitsumiya is located, is sacred, and even today women are forbidden to visit the island, and even men must perform misogi before landing.

During the excavation of Okinoshima, a large number of ritual relics (votive offerings), including ancient ritual remains and ornaments from the 4th to 9th centuries, as well as stone and earthenware artifacts from the Jomon and Yayoi periods were discovered.

These artifacts have been collectively designated as a national treasure as part of the excavated artifacts from the Okitsumiya ritual site of Munakata Taisha Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture.

This suggests that Okinoshima Island is commonly referred to as the “Shosoin of the Sea” and has been the object of worship of the sea people since prehistoric times. It is also called “Ura Ise.

Nakatsu-gu Shrine is located on the west coast of Oshima and enshrines the deity Tagitsuhime no Kami, one of the Three Goddesses of Munakata.

Ontake Shrine is located on the 224-meter-high summit of Mt. Ontake, from where the deity Okinoshima, located far out at sea, can be seen, and open-air rituals were held in common with Okinoshima.

Nakatsu-miya Shrine and the summit of Mt. Ontake are connected by an approach, and constitute Nakatsu-miya Shrine as one entity. Numerous ancient ritual relics, a large number of sacred stones and iron swords were excavated from the ruins (now stored and exhibited at the Henzingu Shrine Treasure House).

Okitsumiya Haruhosho (Yeongtsumiya Shrine)
This is a worship hall for worshipping Okinoshima Island, where Okitsumiya Shrine is located on the north side of Oshima.
On a fine day, you can see Okinoshima Island.

It is a component asset of the World Cultural Heritage site, Munakata/ Okinoshima Island and Related Properties, which was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site.