Photo/Illutration Sefa Utaki is one of the most sacred sites in Okinawa Prefecture’s indigenous religion. It contains dense forests and rugged rock formations, and it is a place where nature itself is worshipped as divine. (Photo by Lisa Vogt)

A “high place” or a “deep place” is my mantra whenever I visit somewhere new.

If there’s a hill or a tall building, I first make my way to the top and get a bird’s-eye view to understand the lay of the land before exploring its nooks and crannies.

By getting a feel for the terrain, I can see how things are and might be connected. The other way I go about appreciating a place is to go deep--to visit the area’s most sacred or spiritual core, and this allows me to see better what is often not apparent to the naked eye.

Having a notion of a place’s roots and values allows me to glimpse a worldview that I’d otherwise be oblivious to, and this enriches my journey.

I landed at Naha Airport, picked up my rental car and an hour later, I was at the entrance to Sefa Utaki to pay respects to the spiritual heart of the islands.

Sefa Utaki is the Jerusalem or Vatican of the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429-1879), where it all started. Located on Cape Chinen on the southern end of the main island of Okinawa, this is where the Ryukyu goddess of creation, Amamikiyo, came after descending upon Kudaka island, the island of God, which is visible from this utaki, or sacred grove.

Sefa Utaki consists of six sanctuaries or worship sites called ibi, where religious rituals have been performed for centuries. In Ryukyu, it was believed that women are protectors who have special spiritual powers, and therefore only women were permitted to offer prayers in rituals and ceremonies.

Even the king had to disguise himself as a woman to enter such places, and still, he was only allowed to enter part way. As a member of the fairer sex, I found this ever so refreshing!

It was only in 1879, when the kingdom became Okinawa Prefecture, that men were granted the “right” to enter.

Soon I reached the most photographed and famous ibi called the Sanguui. It’s made up of a triangular opening formed by two towering coral limestone formations.

Wow. I felt a gentle breeze whisper scenes from an ancient past that beckoned me to see the traditional Ryukyu way and its people, whose belief system is intricately intertwined with nature and the divine. I was reminded that Sefa Utaki is not a sightseeing spot, but a revered holy place.

Here’s to the Ryukyu women and spiritual powers.

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This article by Lisa Vogt, a Washington-born and Tokyo-based photographer, originally appeared in the July 2 issue of Asahi Weekly. It is part of the series "Lisa’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan," which depicts various sites of outstanding universal value across the country through the perspective of the author, a professor at Aoyama Gakuin University.

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