オススメ度
外国語対応
About Munakata Taisha
A world heritage site, Munakata-taisha is a collective name for three shrines: Okitsugu on Okinoshima Island, which enshrines Tagorihime, the eldest of the three Munakata goddesses; Nakatsugu on Oshima Island, which enshrines Tagitsuhime, the second eldest; and Hetsugu on the mainland side, which enshrines Ichikishimahime, the youngest.
Munakata Taisha is the head shrine of some 6,200 shrines in Japan dedicated to the Munakata Sanjinja (three deities), including Munakata Shrine and Itsukushima Shrine (World Heritage Site located in Hiroshima), and is the oldest shrine in Japan, which also appears in Japanese mythology.
The three Munakata goddesses are the daughters of “Amaterasu”—the supreme deity of Japanese mythology—and are gods with maraculous virtue, presiding over “all paths,” including transportation, martial arts, and the tea ceremony.
Munakata Taisha Shrine was registered as a World Heritage site in 2017, mainly because of Okinoshima Island, which has been worshipped as a sacred site since ancient times, and the remains of rituals have been preserved in good condition along with a huge number of votive offerings.
The ritual sites and votive offerings were highly evaluated by UNESCO, the world heritage evaluation organization, as valuable materials that provide information on the 500-year history of foreign exchange and nature worship-based beliefs.
In addition, many other valuable artifacts such as stone tools and earthenware dating from the Jomon Period (14,000 BC to 1,000 BC) to the Yayoi Period (1,000 BC to 250 AD) have been found, including many items from the Eurasian Continent and the Korean Peninsula.
All of the approximately 80,000 “treasures” on Okinoshima Island have been designated as national treasures as valuable historical materials that shed light on Japan’s ancient history.
Brief History
On Okinoshima Island, where the gods were believed to dwell, large-scale rituals were held from the late 4th century to the end of the 9th century to pray for the peace of the nation, among other things.
Later, rituals were also held at Munakata Taisha Shrine.
Munakata Taisha has had strong and respected ties to the successive Japanese Imperial Court, and has continued to thrive for more than a thousand years to the present day.
During the Warring States Period, the temple was involved in wars between neighboring feudal lords and was frequently set on fire or destroyed, but was rebuilt each time with the generous support of the Imperial Court and samurai families.
After World War II, the temple was temporarily in disrepair, but even at this time it was restored thanks to a donation from the great local businessman Sazo Idemitsu (1885-1981).
Recommendation
Make a prayer or just visit the shrine and see some ectremely valuable cultural treasures in the museum.
Aside from that, there is really nothing else to do, but if your timing is right, experience the festival.
The Tanabata Festival held on August 7 and the Miare Festival held on October 1 are two of the most historic and wonderful festivals.
The ferry service to Oshima Island, where Nakatsugu Shrine and Okitsugu Shrine are located, which are components of the World Heritage Site, takes more than half a day to reach because there are only seven ferry services a day.
Unless you are a history buff or into shrines, it’s not a must visit spot.
Access to Munakata Taisha
Take Nishitetsu Bus No. 1 or 2 from Togo Station on the JR Kagoshima Main Line, get off at “Munakata Taisha-mae” bus stop, and walk 2 minutes.
- Approx. travel time: 15 min.
- Approx. 1 or 2 buses per hour.
Munakata Taisha
[ See details ]
| Address | 2331 Tashima, Munakata City, Fukuoka |
|---|---|
| Access | Take Nishitetsu Bus No. 1 or […] |
| Tel | 0940-62-1311 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Sightseeing(Shrine Visit)
Hetsugu
As one of the components of the World Cultural Heritage, Hetsugu enshrines Ichikishimahime no Kami, the third of the three Munakata goddesses.
The shrine is so popular that approximately 1,800,000 worshippers visit the shrine every year.
The following is a list of the main attractions along the route.
The main shrine and the hall of worship
The gokensha-zukuri (style a style of main shrine building that has a small five-bay sanctuary) building stands out with its flowing and elegant shingled roof.
Shrine buildings such as the main shrine and the hall of worship were constructed in the 12th century, but were later burnt down several times due to wars.
The main hall was rebuilt in 1578 by Ujisada Munakata, high priest of a great shrine, and the worship hall was rebuilt in 1590 by Takakage Kobayakawa (1533-1597), a powerful feudal lord.
The approach to Takamiya Saijo is located at the back right of the main shrine.
Walk 10 minutes upstairs surrounded by trees and it will lead you to Takamiya Saijo.
Takamiya Saijo
Takamiya Saijo is the place where the three goddesses enshrined in Munakata Taisha Shrine are said to have descended, and is considered the most sacred of all the Hetsugu shrines.
It is one of the few ceremonial sites in Japan that still retains the ancient form of “no shrine pavilion.”
It is surrounded by a fence and contains only a square space lined with stones and trees, so it may or may not be interesting to look at, but it has a mysterious and solemn atmosphere and is famous as a “power spot”.
In the past, a similar religious service was held at Takamiya Saijo as at Okinoshima.
Even today, “Tsukinamisai (monthly festivals)” are held from 11:30 a.m. on the 1st and 15th of each month, and visitors like you can observe the festivals. (*Taking pictures of the religious service is not allowed.
If you turn left at the junction on the way back to the main shrine from the Takamiya Saijo, you will reach Teinigu and Teisangu shrines located behind the main shrine.
Teinigu and Teisangu shrines
The eldest of the three goddesses enshrined in Munakata Taisha Shrine, Tagorihime no Kami, is enshrined in the second shrine, and the second daughter, Tagitsuhime no Kami, is enshrined in the third shrine.
The shrine buildings of the second and third shrines were originally the ancient pavillions of the subordinate shrine of Ise Jingu, the most prestigious shrine in Japan.
Then, in 1973, they were specially granted to Munakata Taisha, and were moved and rebuilt to become the shrine buildings of the second and third shrines.
National Treasure/Museum
Excavations of Okinoshima Island were conducted three times between 1954 and 1971, and 22 sites of rituals from the 4th to 9th centuries were discovered, along with a massive number of votive offerings excavated.
In addition, many valuable stone tools, earthenware, and other artifacts from the Jomon (14,000 BC to 1,000 BC) and Yayoi (1,000 BC to 250 AD) periods were found.
Of these approximately 100,000 valuable artifacts, about 80,000 are designated as national treasures and are stored in the Shinpokan (see below).
- Roughly less than 30% of the ritual sites have been excavated, leaving much of the site untouched.
- The aforementioned great industrialist Sazo Idemitsu (1885-1981) provided significant financial support for this excavation.
Shinpōkan
The museum is located next to the main shrine of Hetsugu and exhibits approximately 80,000 national treasures excavated on Okinoshima Island—some of the displayed artifacts are occasionally switched out.
The collection includes a wide variety of treasures such as bronze mirrors, ornaments such as magatama (comma-shaped jewels) and gold rings, weapons, tools, earthenware, and shellfish products.
It is wonderful that all of the national treasures remain in extremely good condition.
Below are the treasures worth seeing.
Gold Rings
A ring made of pure gold, finely decorated with floral and circular patterns, dedicated from Silla (ancient Korea).
- Many similar items have been found in the royal tomb of Silla (ancient Korea) in Gyeongju, Korea.
Triangular-rimmed ancient mirror decorated with gods and animals
This sacred mirror is thought to have been brought from Wei (ancient China) around the 3rd century. It is decorated with supernatural beings and sacred beasts that appear in mythology, and the cross section of the rim is triangular.
A bronze item in the shape of a dragon’s head
A gilt-bronze decorative metal fixture for hanging a canopy or banner, in the shape of a dragon’s head.
Cut glass
Fragment of a glass bowl made in Sassanian dynasty in Persia (226-651).
From a scholarly point of view, it is an extremely valuable material.
Shinpōkan
[ See details ]
| Address | 2331 Tajima, Munakata City, Fukuoka |
|---|---|
| Access | JR鹿児島本線「東郷駅」から西鉄バス1系統か1-2系統に乗[…] |
| Tel | 0940-62-1311 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Sightseeing (Islands)
Ōshima
The island is located approximately 6.5 km out to sea from the mainland of Kyushu, and is home to the Munakata Taisha Nakatsugu Shrine and the Munakata Taisha Okitsugu Yohaisho, both of which are components of the World Heritage Site.
To get to Oshima, take Nishitetsu Bus No. 1 or 1-2 from Togo Station on the JR Kagoshima Main Line, and get off at the “Konominato Hatoba” bus stop. Approx. travel time: 20 minutes.
Then take a ferry from Konominato Port and disembark at Oshima Port.
- Approx. travel time: 15-25 minutes.
- Buses to “Konominato Hatoba” run about once or twice an hour.
- There are 7 ferry services a day from “Konominato Port” to Oshima.
Nakatsugu Shrine of Munakata Taisha
Nakatsugu enshrines Tagitsuhime no Kami, the second of the three Munakata goddesses. It is located on a hill on a straight line between Hetsugu on the mainland and Okitsugu on Okinoshima Island. A small river called the Ama-no-kawa flows through the precincts of the shrine, and the Vega shrine and the Altair shrine are located […]
[ See details ]
| Address | 1811 Oshima, Munakata City, Fukuoka |
|---|---|
| Access | 5 min. walk from Oshima Port |
| Tel | 0940-72-2007 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Munakata Taisha Okitsu-miya Yohaisho
A shrine built in the 18th century near the northern tip of Oshima to worship Okinoshima Island, which is off-limits to visitors. It stands in the middle of the slope facing the coast, with the magnificent ocean spread out below. On a clear day, Okinoshima Island can be clearly seen floating on the horizon. The […]
[ See details ]
| Address | 1293 Ito, Oshima, Munakata City, Fukuoka |
|---|---|
| Access | 30 min. walk from Oshima Port |
| Tel | 0940-72-2007 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Okinoshima Island
Okinoshima is an island with a circumference of 4 km, located about 60 km offshore from Munakata City.
The entire island is the sacred body of Munakata Taisha Shrine, and is one of the World Cultural Heritage sites.
Unfortunately though, the general public is prohibited from landing on the island, so it’s impossible to visit.
It’s pretty much pointless to explain everything about the island in great detail but it is the most important one among World Heritage properties, so here’s a brief description.
On the hillside of Okinoshima is the shrine of Okitsumiya, where the deity Tagorihime no Kami is enshrined.
It was a very sacred and important place in ancient Japan, as national rituals were held there from the late 4th century to the end of the 9th century to pray for the peace of the nation.
On Okinoshima Island, many valuable stone tools, earthenware, and other artifacts from the Jomon (14,000 BC to 1,000 BC) and Yayoi (1,000 BC to 250 AD) periods have been found, as well as a number of ritual sites.
The approximately 80,000 artifacts, including many items from the Eurasian continent and the Korean peninsula, have all been designated as national treasures as valuable historical materials that shed light on Japan’s ancient history.
Entertainment
Festivals
Miare Festival
The annual Autumn Grand Festival is held at Munakata Taisha Shrine from October 1 to October 3, and the Miare Festival is held on the first day of the festival (October 1).
The story is about the deity Ichikishimahime-no-kami (enshrined at Hetsugu on Kyushu mainland) welcoming and reuniting with her two sisters, Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime (enshrined on Okinoshima and Oshima, respectively), at Tongu in Konominato, after one year.
Roughly 200 fishing boats, fluttering colorful flags and banners, surround the boats reserved for nobles—carrying the portable shrines of Tagorihime-no-kami and Tagitsuhime-no-kami—is a spectacular sight!
The history of this festival, which prays for the safety of the sea and a bountiful catch, is long and has continued for more than 700 years.
The parade can be seen from Oshima Port (departure point), Konominato Port (arrival point), or nearby beaches.
The parade departs from Oshima Port at 9:30 a.m. and arrives at Kominato Port at approximately 10:20 a.m.
