The holy island of Okinoshima

The holy island of Okinoshima in southwestern Japan, where women are denied access, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the island of Okinoshima, located halfway between the northwest main island of Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula, is the 17th-century temple of Okiatsu, which served as a place for prayers for the safety of sailors.

Priests from the Munakata Taisha - a group of shinto shrines are, in principle, allowed to come to the island and worship the temple.

There are strict rules on the island for the number of people visiting. The island receives visitors only once a year, on May 27th, in honor of the dead sailors in the Russian-Japanese naval battle from 1904-05.

There may be a maximum of 200 visitors, and only men who must pass a ritual bath in the sea to cleanse themselves of impurities. Visitors are not allowed to forget anything about the memorial, including small items such as twigs, stones and herbs from the island.

Women are not at all allowed access to the island, and the reason for this is never publicly disclosed.