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• The Underwater Monument of Yonaguni

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  Bernd Laeschke

  (not a XING member)

  The Underwater Monument of Yonaguni

  Japan (Global Adventures): The tiny Japanese island of Yonaguni, near Taiwan, has become famous for the huge submerged rock structures found near its shores - the ancient city of a lost civilization, some claim. While many archaeologists and geologists believe that it is a natural formation, some hold the view that the features are man-made. Imposing sets of steps and terraces rise up through around 82 feet (25 meters). The structures, with their flat surfaces and near right angles, certainly look deliberately carved out of the stone.
  
  In 1987, while looking for a good place to observe the sharks, Kihachiro Aratake, a director of the Yonaguni-Cho Tourism Association, noticed some singular seabed formations resembling architectural structures. Shortly thereafter, a group of scientists visited the formations. Masaaki Kimura, a geologist at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, claims he has identified a huge pyramid, along with castles, monuments and a big stadium, all connected by roads. He says he has also found walls and water channels, as well as quarry marks, stone tools and a stone tablet carved with ancient lettering.
  
  The formation has since become a popular attraction for divers, in spite of the strong currents. In 1997, Yasuo Watanabe sponsored an informal expedition comprising writers John Anthony West and Graham Hancock, photographer Santha Faiia, geologist Robert Schoch, a few sport divers and instructors, and a shooting crew for British Channel 4 and Discovery Channel. Another notable visitor was freediver Jacques Mayol, who wrote a book on his dives at Yonaguni.
  
  You can find the full article, including links to a YouTube video and pictures, here:
  
  http://www.global-adventures.us/2010/02/12/underwater-monume...
  
  • 12 Feb 2010, 8:02 pm
  Bernd Laeschke wrote: > Japan (Global Adventures): The tiny Japanese island of Yonaguni, near > Taiwan, has become famous for the huge submerged rock structures > found near its shores - the ancient city of a lost civilization, some > claim. While many archaeologists and geologists believe that it is a > natural formation, some hold the view that the features are man-made. > Imposing sets of steps and terraces rise up through around 82 feet > (25 meters). The structures, with their flat surfaces and near right > angles, certainly look deliberately carved out of the stone. > > In 1987, while looking for a good place to observe the sharks, > Kihachiro Aratake, a director of the Yonaguni-Cho Tourism > Association, noticed some singular seabed formations resembling > architectural structures. Shortly thereafter, a group of scientists > visited the formations. Masaaki Kimura, a geologist at the University > of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, claims he has identified a huge pyramid, > along with castles, monuments and a big stadium, all connected by > roads. He says he has also found walls and water channels, as well as > quarry marks, stone tools and a stone tablet carved with ancient > lettering. > > The formation has since become a popular attraction for divers, in > spite of the strong currents. In 1997, Yasuo Watanabe sponsored an > informal expedition comprising writers John Anthony West and Graham > Hancock, photographer Santha Faiia, geologist Robert Schoch, a few > sport divers and instructors, and a shooting crew for British Channel > 4 and Discovery Channel. Another notable visitor was freediver > Jacques Mayol, who wrote a book on his dives at Yonaguni. > > You can find the full article, including links to a YouTube video and > pictures, here: > > http://www.global-adventures.us/2010/02/12/underwater-monument-yonaguni/