Religious tradition dictates the exclusion of women from Okinoshima 沖ノ島, a sacred island off the coast of northern Kyushu. At the heart of this project is a constructed tradition and the people whose lives interact with that tradition in modern times. The project examines a diverse range of factors as windows to understanding how the tradition of female exclusion is deployed and challenged. These factors include the process of conferring UNESCO World Heritage status on the island and its potential effects, legal implications, local religious and community management of the site (Munakata City and the Munakata Shrines 宗像大社), and intended economic and cultural benefits to the region.