On July 28, the Council for Cultural Affairs announced its intention to recommend the island of Okinoshima (and related sites in Munakata City) for the 2017 UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Listing. After cabinet approval has been attained, the government will submit a formal recommendation in February 2016. The island was first used as a religious site in the fourth century, when it was popular amongst sailors, and it is still a place of worship today. The ancient religious ban preventing women from disembarking onto the island continues to be observed. Of the artefacts recovered from these centuries of religious observance, 80,000 have been designated national treasures; including ceramic pieces from the Tang Dynasty of China (7th-10th centuries). The council have cited the well-preserved nature and continued use of the site as reasons for the recommendation. Source: Asahi Shimbun
