Munakata Taisha Shrine

UNESCO World Heritage

宗像大社

Munakata Taisha is the name for three shrines devoted to the three Munakata goddesses, and it is the head shrine of Munakata shrines across Japan. Hetsumiya, on the mainland in Munakata City, is the main shrine and is dedicated to Ichikishima-hime-no-Kami. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region". The Shinpokan museum on the grounds displays about 80,000 offering objects found on Okinoshima, all National Treasures. Okinoshima island itself is closed to visitors.

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Visitor information

Opening hours

Shinpokan museum: 9:00–16:30 (last admission 16:00).

Closed

Shinpokan is open all year with no regular closing days, but may close temporarily for maintenance or bad weather.

Admission

Shinpokan: adults 800 yen; high school/university students 500 yen; elementary/junior high students 400 yen.

Getting there

From the North Exit of JR Togo Station, take a Nishitetsu bus bound via Munakata Taisha (for Kamiminato Wharf).

About 12 minutes by car from Akama Station on the JR Kagoshima Main Line.

Hours and fees can change. Please check the official website before you go.

Good to know

Free parking is available inside the shrine grounds.
Eating and drinking are not allowed inside the Shinpokan museum.

Tips for Muslim visitors

Okinoshima island (Okitsu-gu) is closed to the public; only Shinto priests may go there.
To see Nakatsu-gu and the place where Okinoshima is viewed from afar, take a 25-minute ferry from Kono Ferry Port to Oshima island.
Shinto shrines are open to everyone. Bowing, clapping and washing at the purification basin are optional; you can simply look around.
Shrines are usually busiest at New Year and during festivals. Early morning is often the calmest time to visit.
Charms, fortune slips and votive tablets are religious items. You do not need to buy or use them.
Plan your visit around prayer times. Below are today's prayer times for Fukuoka and the verified places to pray nearby.
Food stalls and shops near popular sights usually do not have halal certification. Check the ingredients, or choose from the verified places on this site.