Women are barred from entering the ancient religious site

A Unesco advisory body has recommended adding Japan’s island of Okinoshima, a men-only ancient religious site in Fukuoka prefecture, to its World Heritage list, cultural authorities announced on Saturday.

The advisory body, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), notified Japan of its decision late on Friday night, The Japan Times quoted.

It is likely to be endorsed at a meeting of the Unesco World Heritage Committee in Krakow, Poland, in July.

If approved, the island, which is part of the prefecture’s Munakata region, will be the 17th set of Japanese cultural assets to be granted World Heritage status, taking the total number of Japanese assets on the list to 21.

Okinoshima still follow strict taboos from ancient times, including the controversial ban on women from entering the island, reports The Japan Times. Men setting foot on the island are first required to strip all clothes and perform a cleansing ritual.

It was also the site of successful exchanges with the people of the Korean Peninsula and China between the fourth and ninth centuries.

National treasure

Some 80,000 artefact brought as gifts from overseas have been uncovered on the island, including gold rings from the Korean Peninsula and glass cup fragments from Persia.