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Okinoshima is mentioned in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, two of Japan’s oldest historical texts.

Source: Japan’s Okinoshima island is shrouded in legends and myths

Munakata Taisha and the Forbidden Island of Okinoshima…

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Source: First Boat Tour Around Okinoshima World Heritage | Fukuoka Now

Japan – Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region

While a sacred island which was recently declared world heritage site by UNESCO situated in south-west Japan, Okinoshima, bans women and allows up to 200 men a year to step in the island where Shinto priest offer prayers to the island’s goddess. There are a few islands and places in the world that are inhabited by women. Recent inclusion in this list of only women island is ‘SuperSheIsland’.

OTHER ALL WOMEN ISLANDS

Located in a remote valley, a small town named ‘ Noiva do Cordeiro’ nestling in the hills of southeast Brazil, 300 miles north of Rio de Janeiro is a home to 600 women aging between (20 years-35 years).

Dating back to 1891, this place has single women, divorced women, and women who are ready to marry but they would allow men to live there only if they abide by their rules.

Even if some of them are married but they make it a point that their husband is forced to work away from home and allowed only on weekends.

Source: Men not allowed: Villages where women focus on themselves

Japan – Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region

A JAPANESE island only allows men to enter, with women being banned altogether.

An island in Japan is one of the few places in the world that only men are allowed to enter, with women being banned from stepping foot on it.

Okinoshima island, lying between the Korean Peninsula and Kyushu, is still home to ancient rituals that men must abide by.

One of the rules still in place is the preventing of females from being allowed to see the island.

It was awarded a UNESCO World Heritage status last year due to the cultural heritage it holds.

Men who enter the island must strip all of their clothing before being cleansed in a ritual and bathing in the sea.

One of the biggest rules is that nothing is allowed to be taken off the island.

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Japan – Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region

Okinoshima is an island that lies in the stretch of ocean that separates the Japanese archipelago from the Korean Peninsula. Since ancient times, people have worshipped the island as a deity and prayed for safe passage across those seas. Also referred to as “the sacred island,” Okinoshima is part of a group of heritage sites (officially referred to as the Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region) where Shinto rituals were conducted over a 500-year period (between the latter half of the 4th century and the end of the 9th century AD). There are around 80,000 ancient artefacts—now designated as Japanese national treasures—that were dedicated as offerings to the deities of the time. The remains of these ancient ritual sites have remained almost untouched; protected and passed down for over 1,000 years.

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Japan – Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region

The sacred Japanese island, Okinoshima, was recently added to UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage Site list. While the island itself is certainly stunning, there’s one catch to UNESCO’s latest addition – women are not allowed to visit the sacred island for reasons that are not entirely understood.

Historically, Okinoshima is considered to be a kami within the Shinto faith. Kami is understood to be any god-like entity that is complex or awe-inspiring. They can found within nature, people, or even the afterlife.

Okinoshima’s geographical characteristics most likely contributed to it becoming a revered location for the Japanese people. Archeological evidence on the island reveals valuable information on the evolution of Shinto rituals through the years, helping scientists better understand the religion itself as well as its contribution to society.

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Japan – Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region

Okinoshima is a sacred island in Japan that no woman can enter, and it has just become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The ban of women may be due to an ancient Shinto belief that blood is impure and women who menstruate may risk offending the Goddess living on the sacred island.

Another possibility is that the goddess of the island would become jealous of other female visitors.

Currently, only a few people are allowed to visit the island and must bathe naked in the sea before entering its sacred grounds.

The island was recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage site thanks to Okitsu Shrine, a Shinto shrine that is housed on the island.

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