Okinoshima Island and Related Sites in Munakata Region (宗像・沖ノ島と関連遺産群) is a group of sites in northwest Kyūshū, Japan, that have been jointly submitted for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, under criteria ii, iii, iv, and vi. Currently the submission resides on the Tentative List.
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Background
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. 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. Over 80,000 artefacts were ritually deposited at the site from the fourth to the tenth centuries. These have been designated a National Treasure. 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. The Munakata clan (宗像氏), powerful local rulers, controlled the route to the continent and "presided over the rituals". The many kofun or tumuli in the area are believed to be their burial ground.
Sites
The following sites are included in the serial nomination: