January 07, 2007
Ice
Diving, Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido
Ice Diving - Utoro, Shiretoko
by Jiro Sakanaka
video at You
Tube
My first link to You Yube video.
Yonaguni
Monuments
The
Relics of Mu
Nov-17-06 artile by Jason Bellows and comments/discussion by others at Damn
Intersting
You will find comments
interesting, even if you already
know basic story about the
monuments in the article.
September 16, 2006
Hayama,
Zushi (Kanagawa Pref.)
Photo
Gallery Zushi at dive shop Banana
Reef
Have
never related "Hayama" or "Zushi" with
diving; the sound makes me think of
"marina" and yachting. I guess I missed something.
Travel Report
Japan
in Autumn
by
Harlan Hague
at Life is a Soft Adventure
No, it's
not about diving. But you maybe enjoy just the photos like I
did:Traditional Japan in Autumn. Travel article around Japan.
It's autumn, kind of, here in Florida too.
August 15, 2006
Ogasawara Islands
Ogasawara
Underwater photos
by Masashi Iwai
at Underwater
Photo Library at Marine House Robinson
Includes
photos
of various schools of fishes, just like the ones I saw there
long time ago.
August 10, 2006
Hachijojima,
Izu Islands
Hachijojima - Kaiser's
at
WannaSurf.com
Report by
a surfer to trip to Hachijo Island. Practical tips to get, stay
and get around the island, along with wave and beach conditions.
Izu Ocean Park (I.O.P), Izu Peninsula
Fish
Photo Gallery and
Point Information
at
Izu Ocean Park Diving Center
Fishes you
can see at I.O.P. by season. (in Japanese)
Izu Ocean Park is one of most popular diving spots close to Tokyo
area.
July 9, 2006
Izu Seven Islands (Izu Shichito)
Journey to the Izu Islands
by C. Gunson
With maps and a lot of topside photos. If you like to experience "islands" in a short vacation around Tokyo, this is the place to go. Some islands are too crowded, but others are not. Not a dive trip, but a good travel report to some of diving destinations.
Yonaguni Underwater Ruins
Probably because it was re-aired yesterday on the History Channel, I noticed there are many people searching for the information. So added a direct link above.
Maps
For last a week or so, added several big and small maps. My maps are made from an old map program and meant to give you a quick reference where the places are located approximately, as well as to myself, as especially relative location of islands are confusing to me after all these years.
Hope to add both maps of Ryukyu Islands and Ogasawara Islands chains soon.
July 3, 2006
Sofu-iwa (Sofugan) 29°48'N, 140°21'E (Added a Sofu Iwa page - 7/5/06)
A rock thrusting 325 feet above water from sea floor over 3280 feet deep in the middle of nowhere in Pacific Ocean, between Ogasawara Islands and Hachijo Island. It's hard to reach spot for diving with abundance of fishes and a spot Japanese divers long for.
Dive cruising tour by Dive Station El-Mar
Scheduled for beginning June, no report if they could make it.
Only one I could find.
Photos found:
Sofuiwa (close-up)
Photo by the later Mr.Goro Takano at Spear Fishing
Sofu-gan - Apostrophe Mark on the horizon
by Ken Kaiko (writer)
Sofu-gan ( Scrol down to see 13 photos in Flash movie)
at National Institue for Sea Training
July 1, 2006
Yonaguni Monument
Yonaguni Monument Page
To keep Okinawa information page proportionate, created a separate page for Yonaguni monument. Visitors who are interested in can go directly to the page.
Creation by Nature?
Links are in Japanese, but thought it's worth mentioning as many visitors here use key words related to Yonaguni.
When were underwater ruins off Yonaguni created?
at Seismological Lab. of University of the Ryukyus
They say it was created about 6000 years ago by process of erosion by waves and other natural process. You can see several graphics to show process of erosion by wave.
Analysis of Yonaguni underwater ruins
at Archeology threads
Thread starting March-11-2003. Comprehensive analysis by "
hammerhead". He criticizes claims made by Prof. Masaaki Mimura point by point. Well prepared even though he says he is not a scholar of any kind.
Interest points; Graphics of the No. 1 monument widely circulated are scaled horizontal to vertical ratio 2 to 1, which distorts the shape greatly. The entire monument has 10 degree inclination.
Sorry, but the thread is beyond my English for me to translate, but it is very interesting, as I noticed almost no other academic scholars publish study on the monument.
June 28, 2006
Ogasawara Underwater Photos
Many good photos of whales, dorphins, sharks, macro photos and more by diving service people:Photo Gallery
by Yasuhiro Morita, Akihito Koga
at Ogasawara Diving Center
Photo Gallery
at Urashiman
June 27, 2006
Yonaguni - Underwater Ruins
Air on Saturday, July 8 at 2 PM ET - On the History Channel "Japan's Mysterious Pyramids" - Ancient MarvelsCopy says:
"Most historians and archaeologists maintain that civilization as we know it began about 5,000 years ago with the emergence of the earliest Egyptian dynasty. But, a small yet persuasive number of scientists believes that a highly advanced civilization, nearly twice as old, flourished during the last Ice Age. Solid evidence of this 19, 000-year-old civilization is difficult to produce, but some feel a recent discover off the coast of a tiny Japanese island, Yonaguni, may be the proof they seek."
I see DVD is available too for $24.95 .
June 26, 2006
Dive Points Photos
Japan's Dive-Spot Gallery
by Masahiro
Kaji
A lot of good underwater and scenery photos, well organized, from clickable map of Japan: Most comprehensive for Ryukyu Islands (I counted 11 islands). If you scroll down, you can browse all points of all spots available on the site.
June 24, 2006
Kikai Jima - Ryukyu Islands
Found This photo Kikai interesting and found some articles and dive service.
KIKAIJIMA by Ms. Bliss Ariana 1998 (at Ohguchi Baku's Home Page ), BULE REEF (Dive service and pension)
June 14, 2006
Hokkaido - Shiretoko - Drift Ice Diving
Dolphin Hotel in Shiretoko
by
Yasuhiro Yamamoto
It's summer in Florida. It's cool to watch photo gallery, flash movies of ice diving, snow covered sceneries and more.