Munakata Taisha, Shinto shrine complex in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

Munakata Taisha is the collective name for three shrines: Hetsu-gu in Tajima, Munakata City on mainland Kyushu; Nakatsu-gu at the foot of Mt. Mitake on Oshima island; and Okitsu-gu on Okinoshima in the Genkai Sea. Hetsu-gu's honden, rebuilt in 1578 by Munakata Ujisada, and its haiden, rebuilt in 1590 by Kobayakawa Takakage, are both Important Cultural Properties.

Archaeological excavations on Okinoshima island since 1954 have uncovered more than 80,000 artifacts, including six objects classified as National Treasures of Japan. These finds document the maritime connection between Japan and the Asian mainland over many centuries.

The three shrines honor the Munakata goddesses Tagorihime, Tagitsuhime and Ichikishimahime, regarded as daughters of Amaterasu-omikami and Susanoo-no-mikoto. These female deities are traditionally invoked by seafarers and fishermen seeking safe passage across the waters.

Hetsu-gu, the mainland shrine, stands in Tajima, Munakata, and is reached by JR Kagoshima Line trains. Nakatsu-gu lies on Oshima, reached by ferry from Kōnominato. Okitsu-gu occupies all of Okinoshima in the Genkai Sea; women may not land, and men must perform a purification rite before going ashore.

Okinoshima island enforces strict access regulations that prohibit women from entering and require men to perform purification ceremonies before landing. These restrictions preserve the island as one of the most isolated sacred sites in the world.