tsukushima – Japan
According to the Shinto belief, the Japanese island of Itsukushima is a sacred place, and the maintenance of its purity is of utmost concern. So in an attempt to keep up the sanctity of the island, the shrine’s priests have worked pretty hard to make sure no deaths occur there. Since the year 1878, no deaths or births have been permitted near the shrine. Pregnant women nearing the date of delivery aren’t allowed there, nor are the elderly or the terminally ill.