Okinoshima
A sacred island of UNESCO world heritage status
Introduction
When studying the Silk Roads, it is not only important to look at the objects that travelled the routes, but also the landscapes where these objects were discovered. This story investigates Okinoshima, an island in the Japanese archipelago that, over the years of the Silk Road, became home to many sacred items brought from afar.
About the Island
Okinoshima (沖ノ島) is a Japanese island between the southeast Korean peninsula and the southwest coast of Japan and was thus on the route of ships travelling between the two countries. Today, visiting Okinoshima is forbidden to all except Shinto priests because it is a sacred place, so people worship from shrines established on the mainland and the island of Oshima.
Oshima, a small island close to the Japanese mainland, is the home of the female deity, Tagorihime-no-kami (田心姫神), one of the three goddesses of Muntaka mentioned in the Nihon shoki (日本書紀). They are believed to be sea goddesses, descending from the sun goddess Amaterasu (天照大御神), who now protect the water between the mainland and Okinoshima. The image is of a place of worship on Oshima Island, Okitsumiya Yohaisho (沖津宮遥拝所), from which worshippers can, on a clear day, see Okinoshima itself. The other two goddesses have their own shrines, Tagitsuhime-no-kami (湍津姫神), at Nakatsumiya (中津宮), and Ichikishimahime-no-kami (市杵島姫神), at Hetsumiya (辺津宮), on Oshima island and the mainland.
Okinoshima itself is considered by many to be a kami (神) [ EXH46 ], a divine being usually associated with a place of nature, such as trees, rocks and springs, in the traditional religion of Japan. Kami are worshipped by conducting rituals and placing offerings, often at natural sites such as rocks. There is evidence that such rituals have been conducted on Okinoshima since the fourth century, and the island contains a series of important votive sites.
Image: Statues of three kami from Matsunoo Taisha (松尾大社), Tokyo National Museum [ EXH46 ].
While these show that mariners, monks and merchants must have visited the island in the past, leaving behind offerings for a safe journey, there is now a taboo on people visiting the island. The only exceptions are Shinto priests. Before stepping on the island, the priests must purify themselves by bathing in the sea.
Okinoshima and the sites within the Munakata region were granted UNESCO world heritage status in 2017 . Its inscription on this list was due to the outstanding universal value of island worship traditions and of craftsmanship for the items discovered on the island. Read on to discover more about these items.
Items from the Silk Roads
Three periods of archaeological excavations on Okinoshima (1954–55, 1955–58, 1969–71), revealed some 80,000 artefacts. They included horse-trappings, coins, mirrors, vessels, swords and much more, and originate from different regions of Asia. They were deposited on the island between the 4th and the 9th centuries, probably as ritual offerings.
A Weaving Loom
Miniature floor-loom from Okinoshima, Munakata Grand Shrine [ EXH49 ].
One of the most fascinating finds from Okinoshima is a miniature loom [ EXH49 ], now housed at Munakata Grand Shrine. Dating from the 8th–9th century it is made of gilt-bronze and reminds us of the transfer of silk and silk and weaving technology from China, eastwards as well as westwards. [ Read more in our silk story ]
Magatama Beads
Magatama beads from Okinoshima, Munakata Grand Shrine [ EXH48 ].
Magatama (勾玉/曲玉, comma-shaped beads) [ EXH48 ] are found throughout the island made from a variety of materials including glass, crystal, stone and amber.
The original function and appearance of magatama is unclear. They are found in 1st millennium BC steppe culture used in horse accoutrements and as decoration of the royalty of the Three Kingdoms in Korea, such as the 5th century Silla crown — often held to be influenced by similar crowns from the steppe to Korea’s north.
The oldest magatama in Japan also date from the first millennium BC, the Final Jomon Period. These were made from stone and earthen materials and were used as jewellery. As time progressed, they became sacred objects (one of the three sacred objects representing Japanese imperial authority, the others being a sword and a mirror) made from semi-precious stones such as jasper, agate, and jade. This suggests that through trade with countries such as China, where jade was highly valued and used in imperial and burial rituals, magatama evolved into important religious objects to be used in rituals. This is confirmed by their presence at ritual sites on Okinoshima.
Magatama continued to be seen in Japan after the introduction of Buddhism. They continue to play a part in traditional religions, as seen in the magatama on the necklaces worn by priestesses during Shinto ceremonies in Okinawa (the southernmost prefecture in Japan).
Sasanian Glass Bowl
Among the offerings found at ritual sites on Okinoshima were glass beads and fragments. The glass fragment pictured below [ EXH50 ] is from a blown glass vessel with relief cut decorations. Analysis has shown many of the beads and this fragment to be made in west Asia in the the Sasanian empire (224–651). This piece was used as an offering to the traditional gods of the island, but glass was also important in Buddhism. A complete vase of the same style is part of the imperial collection at the Shōsōin (正倉院) in Nara.
Similar complete vases have also been found in China and Korea, suggesting that fragile but high value glass items were transported by land as well as by sea. [ Read more in the glass story ]
Sasanian glass found at Okinoshima, Munakata Grand Shrine [ EXH50 ].
Additional Items
The video below shows a number of items excavated from Okinoshima (time stamp - 3:40 - 4:29).
Video: The Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region.
Final Thoughts
Okinoshima sits within a seascape that is at the centre of the Shinto canon and encapsulates many of the foundational myths and narratives used in constructing the Japanese national origin story. The island is also a repository for archaeological materials that can help to unravel how this mythology was constructed.
