In recognition of the historical significance of these finds, the island has just been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

But before you add the treasure trove to your travel bucket list, there’s one thing you need to know: women are banned from stepping foot on the 0.4 square mile island.

According to the Japanese Times, Shinto traditions state that women aren’t permitted to visit the island. There are multiple explanations for this ban – which is enforced by the priests of the Munakata Grand Shrine – but some say it is because menstruation would defile the site because the Shinto religion views blood as an ‘impurity’. Others argue that the dangerous nature of voyages to Okinoshima meant that women were prohibited from sailing there in order to protect them as the bearer of offspring.

Right.

Despite the island being thrown into the international spotlight it seems that the long-standing tradition is here to stay. Speaking to the Japanese Times, a priest of the Munakata Grand Shrine confirmed that they will continue to prohibit women from visiting Okinoshima.

A Japanese island where women are banned is named a UNESCO World Heritage Site