Cultural Properties of the Munakata Region
| Name |
The Guardian Island, Oshima |
| Classification |
|
| Address |
|
| Form |
|
| Survey year |
|
| Storage status |
|
| Excavated relics |
|
| Age |
|
| Description |
Since ancient times, the people of Oshima who sailed and fished in these waters have regarded Okinoshima as a sacred island and have protected it as an object of faith. With taboos restricting entry to Okinoshima, Oshima has served as the point from which access to the island is managed. Archaeological findings from the islands and the mainland, dating from the eighth to ninth centuries, indicate a shared spiritual tradition within the Munakata region. Oshima remains an important place of worship today, where people can pay their respects to Okinoshima’s enshrined deity from Okitsu-miya Yohaisho, a hall aligned by sight with the island.
Ritual lineage and the shrine families
The ancient rituals of Okinoshima were conducted by members of the Munakata clan, who ruled the region from before the earliest Japanese records in the eighth century. After the end of the Munakata clan priestly lineage in the late sixteenth century, two families living on Oshima, serving through what is known as the Ichinokai and Ninokai, took over the administration of the faith.
The Ichinokai conducted rites for Okitsu-miya on Okinoshima, while the Ninokai performed rituals for Nakatsu-miya on Oshima. Both families at times assisted with ceremonies at Hetsu-miya on the mainland. During the Edo period (1603–1867), they continued to protect the faith under the patronage of the ruling Kuroda domain. The Ichinokai also maintained ritual sites, including the Okitsu-miya Yohaisho, and made the voyage to the sacred island twice a year to perform ceremonies there, ensuring the continuation of ancient practices.
The Miare Festival
The long-standing connection between Okinoshima, Oshima, and the mainland continues through the Miare Festival, held annually on October 1. This event marks the beginning of the Autumn Grand Festival, celebrated over three days. Portable shrines of Okitsu-miya and Nakatsu-miya—both housed at Nakatsu-miya on Oshima—are carried across the sea to Hetsu-miya on the mainland, where the three Munakata deities are reunited. Over one hundred fishing boats from the seven ports of Munakata accompany the procession in a grand flotilla. |
| volume / scale / area |
|
| Collection |
|
| References |
|
| Catalog page |
|
Copyright © 2020 The Preservation and Utilization Council of the sacred island of Okinoshima and the Associated Sites in the Munakata Region, All Rights Reserved.