Will Japan's Men-Only Island Be a UNESCO Heritage Site?

A Japanese island where women are banned from setting foot is being proposed for inclusion on UNESCO's world heritage list.

There are strict rules for male tourists visiting Okinoshima Island (pictured) - Photo: BBC

According to the Asahi Shimbun (Japan), this special island is called Okinoshima in southwestern Japan. Not only are women forbidden from setting foot here, those who reach this island must also comply with the rule of not bringing anything from the island back to the mainland, even just a flower or a blade of grass as a souvenir.

The island has been recommended by an advisory panel to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, but a final decision on this will be made at a UNESCO session in July this year.

The island is home to the Munakata Taisha Shrine, a shrine dedicated to a goddess of the sea, and was the site of rituals to pray for the safety of ships and trade between the Korean Peninsula and China from the fourth to ninth centuries, according to the Japan Times.

There are still many religious taboos on the island, including the prohibition of women from coming to the island to ensure the sacredness of the island according to the beliefs of the local people.

Male visitors to the island are initially required to strip and undergo a cleansing ritual. They are also not allowed to reveal any specific details about their trip to the island upon their return.

"These are issues that will have to be considered if the island becomes a world heritage site," the Asahi Shimbun said, noting that tourism will become an important factor in Okinoshima in the near future.

However, according to the Mainichi newspaper, at present, there is little possibility that the gender-related bans on the special island will be removed.

"Our stance on this issue will not change even if the island is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site," the Mainichi newspaper quoted a relevant official, Munakata Taisha, as saying.

According to Tuoi Tre