Yonaguni Monument
Underwater Ruins off Yonaguni Island in Japan
Man-Made or Natural?
- The truth behind Japan's mysterious 'Atlantis' – BBC REEL (4m 57s)
- Graham Hancock ~ Yonaguni - JRE (5m 24s)
Joe Rogan interview - Monty Halls' Dive Mysteries: Japan's Lost Atlantis | History Documentary | Reel Truth History (44m 28s)
- Draining the Yonaguni Monument (2m 02s) - National Geographic TV ()
Fun Dive
- 12/23/2023: Yonaguni Monument - Visibility: 40m
ダイビングで与那国島の海底遺跡を探索! (16m 53s) - Yonaguni Monument Diving Japan (9m 25s)
- 与那国島 海底遺跡.wmv (3m 11s)
- 沖縄 与那国島ダイビング 海底遺跡 西崎ドリフトでカジキに遭遇!(4m 14s)
- (HD)与那国島 海底遺跡でダイビング その1 (7m 41s)
- 与那国島海底遺跡Diving2023 (2m 35s) Entry from the opposite side
Snorkel or Glass Bottom Boat
Yonaguni monument can be seen by snorkeling or by a glass bottom boat.
- Freediving Yonaguni Pyramid | Aliens or Lost Civilization? | Yonaguni Monument (6m 34s)
- 【与那国島観光】高速半潜水艇で行く「海底遺跡」船から眺める景観も素晴らしい (18m 40s) Glass bottom boat
Discoverer and Leading Researcher
Kihachiro Aratake
Discoverer
Mr. Kihachiro Aratake is a local dive operator who first discovered the monument (No. 1) - Iseki Point - in 1986.
- Sou-Wes Diving & Hotel Irifune (EN)
- Yonaguni Underwater Ruins Museum (JP)
It is Mr. Aratake's private online museum: You will find research papers, newspaper and magazine articles and so forth, all kind of information. (Translate Google)
Masaaki Kimura
Leading Researcher
Professor Masaaki Kimura is the leading researcher of the monuments.
Marine geologist, Professor, Department of Physics and Earth Sciences University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa - Ph.D. of Marine Biology. Graduated from the Tokyo University graduate school.
- Research for submarine ruins off Yonaguni Japan
by Masaaki Kimura 2001
at Yonaguni Underwater Ruins Museum
Survey report at University of Ryukyus - in English.It seems this is the original source for many reports on the Internet. It includes map of monument, photo of artifacts found.
- BOOKS on Yonaguni Monument in Japanese (links to amazon.co.jp):
- 沖縄海底遺跡の謎:世界最古の巨石文明か!? Paperback – July 1, 2019
ISBN-10: 4476140572
ISBN-13: 978-4476140576
Yen 1,615 by 木村政昭(著) - 与那国島海底遺跡・潜水調査記録 Tankobon Hardcover – July 1, 2000
ISBN-10: 4883970582
ISBN-13: 978-4883970582
by 木村 政昭 (著)
- 沖縄海底遺跡の謎:世界最古の巨石文明か!? Paperback – July 1, 2019
Disputes
People are fascinated with the monument or rock. You can find countless videos on YouTube on the subject.
Man-Made
I think it a man-made. So here're videos and photos by Graham Hancock.
Graham Hancock
Graham Hancock has said it is man-made after his first dive. Since then, he has done over 200 dives on Yonaguni Island and other Ryukyu Islands and found definite man-made stone structures underwater.
- Videos:
- Interview with Joe Rogan
Graham Hancock ~ Yonaguni - JRE (5m 24s) - Diving Japan's mysterious underwater ruins with Graham Hancock (5m 54s)
- Interview with Joe Rogan
- Photo Galleries:
- Yonaguni: The Main Monument and its Surroundings
- Yonaguni: The Enigma of "The Face" and "The Stone Stage"
- Other Mysterious Underwater Ruins of Japan
Stone circles at depth between 88 feet to 108 feet at Kerama Island in Ryukyu Islands.
- Writing:
- Confronting Yonaguni
Chapter 27, from Graham Hancock's book " Underworld " 2002
A good overview surrounding controversy and people involved with photo gallery, up to 2001. - Writing about Outrageous Hypotheses and Extraordinary Possibilities: A View from The Trenches
by Graham Hancock
at Truth is God
- Confronting Yonaguni
From a person who is "in heated kitchen" in the debate on "Man-made or natural".
Or, simply it does not pass threshold for serious study for archeology? Here's a case for example:
Natural
Robert M. Schock
- The Underwater Monument at Yonaguni, Japan
Robert M. Schoch: Research Highlights Yonaguni, Japan - An Enigmatic Ancient Underwater Structure off the Coast of Yonaguni Island, Japan
Robert Schoch 1999
To be fair:
He visited Yonaguni twice and did several dives each time, and does not say it 100% natural, admitting possibility of some "touched up".
".. However, if I simply state that the Yonaguni Monument is natural, I leave out part of the story.
On the island is evidence of very ancient human habitation, including tombs and other structures artificially carved from the bedrock (see the accompanying photo) that I am convinced mimic, and were stylistically inspired by, the natural features of the island, including the step-like features now submerged by the ocean.
Indeed, I believe that even though the Yonaguni Monument may be primarily natural (say, over 95% natural), parts may have been "touched up" by ancient humans and the ancient inhabitants of the island may have both admired and utilized the Yonaguni Monument.
Analogously, we can consider the famous prehistoric cave paintings of Europe.
The caves themselves are natural (although in a few places perhaps artificially enlarged), but the caves were utilized by ancient humans and the paintings on their walls and ceilings are artificial productions by early humans.
Although, disappointingly, the Yonaguni Monument is natural, the island itself attests to habitation by an early human population."
***From what I read after his first dive, I thought his opinion was "100%" natural. But his later idea seems to inch toward the possibility of "man-made."
"Primarily natural," "95% natural," or maybe "touched up."- It sounds like a matter of definition of "natural." At what percentage does he think it crosses over from natural to man-made?