Okinoshima (Fukuoka)

Okinoshima
Aerial photo, 1978
Waters	Japanese sea
Geographical location	34 ° 14 '42 "  N , 130 ° 6' 20"  E Coordinates: 34 ° 14 '42 "  N , 130 ° 6' 20"  E
length	1.5 km
width	1 km
surface	97 ha
Highest elevation	Ichinodake 243.6  m
Residents	1 Shinto priest 1 inhabitant / km²

Okinoshima ( Japanese 沖 ノ 島 'remote island') is an island in the Sea of ​​Japan that belongs to the Japanese municipality of Munakata . Despite its small size and sparse population, it has great cultural and religious importance and, as a sacred island, has been subject to entry restrictions for centuries.

geography

Okinoshima is located in the Genkai-nada marine area in the Sea of ​​Japan between the island of Kyushu, 55 kilometers away, and the island of Tsushima, 65 kilometers away .

The island has an area of ​​0.97 km² and is 1.5 km long and about one kilometer wide. A ridge stretches over the length of the island, the highest point of which is the Ichinodake ( 一 ノ 岳 ) at 243.6 meters. On top of this is the Okinoshima lighthouse ( 沖 ノ 灯台 灯台 , Okinoshima tōdai ), whose 37,000  candela bright white and 33,000 candela bright red beacon can be seen 17 nautical miles away.

A kilometer southeast is about 2.5  hectares wide and 29 meters high island Koya-Shima ( 小屋島 ; 34 ° 13 '53 "  N , 130 ° 6' 39"  O ) and the rock pair Mikadobashira ( 御門柱 , "venerable goalpost" ; 34 ° 13 ′ 56.5 ″  N , 130 ° 6 ′ 49 ″  E ) and Tengu-iwa ( 天狗 岩 , " Tengu rocks"; 22 meters, 34 ° 13 ′ 54.5 "  N , 130 ° 6 ′ 47 , 5 "  O ).

history

Due to its location, the island served between the late 4th century and the end of the 9th century as a base and signpost on the ship route umikita no michinaka ( 海北 道 中 , English: "Northern Sea Route ") to the Korean Peninsula . The island was thus an important place for cultural exchange in the region. At the same time, it gained religious importance, as the seafarers prayed for a safe journey on this stopover or embassies prayed for the success of their diplomatic missions. Specifically, the goddess Tagorihime no kami was and is worshiped here in the Okitsumiya shrine as the deification of the sea mist.

With the fall of the Chinese Tang Dynasty , diplomatic missions to China were also suspended. As early as the 6th and 7th centuries, with the fall of the Korean allies Gaya and Baekje, Japan's influence in Korea waned . With the missions, the state rituals on the island also ceased, although religious rites are still carried out on a much smaller scale, and the island thus lost its importance at the end of the 9th century.

On May 27, 1905, the sea ​​battle of Tsushima of the Russo-Japanese War took place near the island .

Excavations

Between 1954 and 1971, extensive excavations were carried out at 23 locations on the island, during which 80,000 artifacts were recovered, which in their entirety have been designated as the Japanese national treasure. It was found that the implementation of the rituals and the type of offerings can be divided into four phases or groups:

• Between the 4th and 5th centuries the rituals took place on large rocks, and important finds from this period include ornate Chinese bronze mirrors from the Wei Dynasty .
• From the late 5th to 7th centuries they were executed in the shade of large rocks, and a large number of Korean artifacts can be found, such as gold rings, which can also be found in the royal tombs of the Silla Kingdom in Gyeongju , made of gold-plated horse harness ornaments Copper, which also come from Silla, or others with a bird-man motif, as they are known from the burial mounds of the Goguryeo empire . In addition, a large number of komochi - magatama (teardrop-shaped jewels) were excavated from talc , which were a popular export to Korea.
• From the late 7th century to the 8th century, the ritual locations slowly shifted to the open air. Finds from the Tang Dynasty have been documented for this period, such as three-colored vessels, which are believed to have come from Henan Province . Other significant artifacts are a vase with a pedestal or a gilded dragon head made of copper.
• With the 8th century, the rituals shifted completely to open spaces in the last phase and instead of import and export goods, only artefacts for religious purposes were found such as Talk- Katashiro , i. H. Offerings that represent humans or animals and serve as a substitute for them, as well as katashiro in boat form for prayers for safe sea voyages. Another artifact from this period is the oldest example of colored glaze pottery in Japan.

A gilded copper loom or pieces of Persian crystal glass were also excavated. Because of this high number of artifacts, the island is therefore also known as the "Sea Treasure House " ( 海 の 正 倉 院 , umi no Shōsōin ).

The finds are now on permanent display in the National Museum of Japanese History and in the Shimpō-kan ("Museum of Sacred Treasures"). In addition, Japan announced in 2009 the island as a UNESCO - World Heritage candidate Okinoshima Iceland and Related Sites in Munakata Region on. The island was granted World Heritage status on July 9, 2017.

The sacred island of Okinoshima and related sites in the Munakata region
UNESCO world heritage
National territory:	Japan
Type:	Culture
Criteria :	(ii) (iii)
Surface:	99 ha
Buffer zone:	79 363 ha
Reference No .:	1535
UNESCO region :	Asia and Pacific
History of enrollment
Enrollment:	2017  ( session 41 )

Okitsumiya

Okitsumiya Shrine

The Okitsumiya ( 沖 津 宮 ) shrine on the island is part of the Munakata Taisha ( 宗 像 大 社 , "Munakata Grand Shrine"), in which the three female Munakata- kami ( 宗 像 三 女神 , Munakata sanjojin ) are worshiped as sea goddesses. Its peculiarity is that it consists of three sub-shrines, each dedicated to a goddess in particular. The Hetsumiya ( 辺 津 宮 , “near shrine”), in which Ichikishimahime no kami is worshiped as the goddess of worship / miko , is located on the Japanese mainland on the Tsurikawa River near its mouth into the sea, the Nakatsumiya ( 中 津 宮 , “middle shrine ") With Tagitsuhime no kami , the goddess of rough waters, 10 km away on the offshore island of Ōshima and finally Okitsumiya (" shrine in the open sea ") 49 km away on Okinoshima with Tagorihime no kami , the goddess of sea mist. All the shrines are on one line and therefore form stations on the earlier ship route. Although originally local deities, Munakata worship ( 宗 像 信仰 , Munakata shinkō ) spread over all of Japan, so that the Munakata Taisha with the Okitsumiya is now at the top of the 6000 Munakata shrines.

Okinoshima as a whole is considered a sacred object of worship ( shintai ) and is therefore not allowed to be entered without further ado. Access to the island is only permitted on May 27 of each year for around 250 people, when the Okitsumiya Genchi Taisai ( 沖 津 宮 現 地 大 祭 ) commemorates the fallen in the sea battle at Tsushima. However, a cleansing ritual ( misogi ) must be performed. Although the island is dedicated to a female kami, women are still prohibited from entering it. There is also a taboo against taking anything with you from the island or talking about what you have seen or heard on the island. As such, the island is uninhabited except for the shrine priest present.

As these admission restrictions make it difficult to worship or pray to the encircled goddess, the Okitsumiya Yōhaisho ( 沖 津 宮 遥 拝 所 , dt. "Okitsumiya remote prayer place") is located at the Nakatsumiya as a substitute for the Okitsumiya. This also offers a view of Okinoshima when the weather is clear.

Flora and fauna

Okinoshima is located at the northern end of the subtropics and has a corresponding flora. Ferns such as Asplenium antiquum and succulents such as Orostachys malacophylla var. Iwarenge can be found on the ground . The Okinoshima Primeval Forest ( 沖 の 島 原始 林 , Okinoshima genshirin ) was declared a natural monument on October 20, 1926. Because of its occurrence of the endangered and also recognized as a natural monument Japanalk , the island was declared on March 31, 1978 in addition to the national game reserve ( 国 k 鳥 獣 保護 区 , kunishitei chōjū hogoku ). Another common bird species is the swinhoe wave runner .

Web links

Commons : Okinoshima, Munakata  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• World Heritage Site Okinoshima Island and Related Sites in Munakata Region (Japanese, English)
• Photos of artifacts in Shimpō-kan (Japanese)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 宗 像 市 市 勢 要 覧 資料 編 . Munakata City, 2008, accessed August 2, 2016 (Japanese). 
2. ↑ ^{a b} Permanent Exhibitions. National Museum of Japanese History, accessed July 9, 2013 . 
3. ↑ official topographic map
4. ↑ 航路 標識 の 紹 介 . Japan Coast Guard , accessed July 11, 2013 (Japanese). 
5. ↑ ^{a b c d} Yoko Kayukawa: 'God island' remains sheltered from the passage of time. In: Asahi Shimbun. August 20, 2010, archived from the original on July 11, 2013 ; accessed on August 2, 2016 . 
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} The Island where Goddesses Dwell: Okinoshima Japan. (PDF; 4.4 MB) In: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List Okinoshima Island and Related Sites in Munakata Region. World Heritage Promotion Committee of "Okinoshima Island and Related Sites in Munakata Region", accessed July 9, 2013 . 
7. ↑ ^{a b c d} Takahiro Nogami:  "Munakata Shinkō" . In: Encyclopedia of Shinto. Kokugaku-in , February 24, 2007 (English)
8. ↑ 国家 守護 と 沖 ノ 島 . In: 沖 ノ 島 を 知 る . Munakata City, archived from the original on January 22, 2014 ; Retrieved August 2, 2016 (Japanese). 
9. ↑ ^{a b} 学術 調査 に よ る 成果 と 再 認識 . In: 沖 ノ 島 を 知 る . Munakata City, archived from the original on January 22, 2014 ; Retrieved August 2, 2016 (Japanese). 
10. ↑ ^{a b c} Stroll through Munakata History. In: Munakata City. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013 ; accessed on August 2, 2016 . 
11. ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region. Retrieved September 6, 2017 . 
12. ↑ 沖 津 宮 現 地 大 祭 斎 行 . Munakata-Taisha, May 28, 2013, accessed August 11, 2013 (Japanese). 
13. ↑ 沖 の 島 原始 林 . In: 国 指定 文化 財 等 デ ー タ ベ ー ス (cultural monuments database). Bunka-chō , accessed October 19, 2013 (Japanese). 
14. ↑ 国 指定 鳥 獣 保護 区 一 覧 . (PDF; 74 kB) Ministry of the Environment , November 1, 2012, accessed on July 13, 2013 (Japanese).