In Fukuoka prefecture, on the shore of the Genkai Sea, a group of burial mounds records the power of the Munakata clan, the family who were priests and sea-lords of the strait between Kyushu and Korea. Shimbaru-Nuyama is a cluster of tombs from the fifth and sixth centuries, small and large mounds scattered over a low ridge, and it belongs to the World Heritage listing for Okinoshima and the associated sites of the Munakata region, inscribed in 2017. Okinoshima is a remote island in the channel where ritual offerings were made for centuries to pray for safe voyages, and no women are allowed to land, and men must purify themselves in the sea before setting foot on it.
The mounds on the mainland belonged to the clan that managed those rituals and the sea routes. Grave goods found in the area show contacts across the water, with mirrors, gold rings and glass beads from the continent. Munakata Taisha, the great shrine of the clan, still stands, with three sanctuaries for the three goddesses of the sea, and it draws crowds to pray for traffic safety, including blessings for cars.
The country here is quiet farmland and low hills with the sea close by. The main coastal road, Route 3, is busy and flat, with long stretches of shops and car dealerships, while side roads run among rice fields and persimmon orchards, past small shrines. A bit further north the coast offers fine views over the Genkai Sea, with its rocks and pine trees, and the drive along it is relaxed rather than twisty. Summer is hot and humid, typhoons come in late summer, and winter brings cold winds from the north-west but little snow.
Nishifukuma, the nearest sizeable town, has fuel stations, supermarkets and restaurants, and the cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu are close. The seafood here is outstanding, and sashimi, grilled squid and mentaiko, spicy pollock roe, are local favourites. The museum in Munakata gives a good introduction to the story of Okinoshima. Visiting hours vary, so check before you go.