Munakata Taisha Nakatsugū~Places to see nearby

Mitake shrine

Mitake shrine is an branch shrine, outside Nakatsugū, located on top of Mount Mitake. It is devoted for Amaterasu-ōmikami and Tagitsuhime-no-kami-no-aratama. It is regarded as the "Okumiya", rear shrine, of Nakatsugū and also called "Mitakegū". Nearby there is the Mitake-san remains, the remains of ancient ritual ceremonies similar to the ones held on the island of Okinoshima, and the site is said to be where the Nakatsugū originated.

Mount Mitake viewing point

Mount Mitake viewing point is located on Ōshima's highest mountain Mount Mitake, which is 224m high. When the weather is fine, it has a fine view of the islands on the Genkai sea, such as Okinoshima and Ikinoshima, the mountains of mainland Kyūshū and in the distance Fukuoka Tower and Fukuoka Dome in Fukuoka city.

Okitsugū Yōhaijo

Okitsugū Yōhaijo is located in the northern part of the island of Ōshima. It is a place to worship Okitsugū, one of the three shrines of Munakata Taisha, devoted for Tagorihime-no-kami, located on the island of Okinoshima. It is one of the sites of “Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region” inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Yume-no-sayoshima

Yume-no-sayoshima is a small island just off the Kansu beach on the east side of Ōshima. There is a torī in front and a small shrine on top. At low tide it is able to walk to this island.

The remains of a coast-battery and Wind mill viewing point

In the north part of Ōshima, there are the remains of Ōshima coast-battery, a part of Shimonoseki Fortress, built in 1935. The remains of what used to be an observation station, an ammunition depot and some cannon emplacements can be seen. From these remains, a windmill standing on the hill, against the Genkai sea can be seen, and it is the best viewpoint in the island.

The Wind mill viewing point is about a 5 minute walk from the remains of the coast-battery, and it has a great view too.

Batei-iwa

At Kanzaki-bana, the west end of the island of Ōshima, there is a rock with horseshoe-shaped patterns called Batei-iwa. These horseshoe-shaped patterns are told to be the horse footprints when Tagorihime-no-kami, one of the three goddesses, jumped to Okinoshima.

It is located about 200m from Chikuzen Ōshima lighthouse by an unpaved and rugged path. Be aware It is also a cliff without any fencing.

Chikuzen Ōshima lighthouse

Chikuzen Ōshima lighthouse is located in the west end of the island of Ōshima. It is a white lighthouse that has been watching over marine traffic on the Genkai sea for more than 90 years since it was first lit in 1926.

Miura cavern

1643 in the Edo period, a Christian priest hid in this cavern after he escaped from Nagasaki, under the persecution of Christianity. It is also called "Johann's Cave".

It is located about 200m from Chikuzen Ōshima lighthouse by an unpaved and rugged path.