In fact, there are many places--Okinoshima island, for example--whose entire area, including the shrines, the little islands, and the forests, are hallowed ground; this concept has been passed down to Shrine Shinto, and finds expression in the various building methods used in shrines, like for instance the fact that originally, the sando (the road that approaches the shrine) was for the gods, and as such no human was allowed to walk on it.
実際に「沖の島」のような神社や島や森林を含めた全体が禁足地としている場所も多くあり、その考えは神社神道にも引き継がれ、さまざまな建築様式のなかに内在もするが、例えば、本来は参道の真ん中は神の道で禁足となっている。