Gps Coordinates / 24.436436,123.0119389
Japan Ancient Stones Yonaguni Monument Ocean Gps
C2P6+HQG Yonaguni, Yaeyama Okinawa, Japan
Remains of the disputed sunken city
Controversial Asian Atlantis Location
Yonaguni Monument is a submerged rock formation off the coast of Yonaguni, the southernmost of the Ryukyu Islands, in Japan. It lies approximately a hundred kilometres east of Taiwan. Marine geologist Masaaki Kimura claims that the formations are man-made stepped monoliths. These claims have been described as controversial “pseudo” archaeological. Neither the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs nor the government of Okinawa Prefecture recognise the features as important cultural artifacts and neither government agency has carried out research or preservation work on the site.
Gps Coordinates / 24.4359169,123.0110855
During discovery the sea off Yonaguni is a popular diving location during the winter months because of its large population of hammerhead sharks. In 1986, 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 directed by Masaaki Kimura of the University of the Ryūkyūs visited the formations.
Link Location Gps / Link Gps 24.4361424 / Link Gps 24.4362651 / Link Gps 24.4363616
Gps Coordinates / 24.4361424,123.0113756 / 24.4362651,123.0115946 / 24.4363616,123.0117813
The formation has since become a relatively popular attraction for divers despite strong currents. In 1997, Japanese industrialist Yasuo Watanabe sponsored an informal expedition including archaeology writers John Anthony West and Graham Hancock, geologist and fringe theorist Robert Schoch, photographer Santha Faiia, a few sport divers and instructors and a film crew for Channel 4 and Discovery Channel. Another notable visitor was freediver Jacques Mayol, who wrote a book on his dives at Yonaguni.
Link Location Gps / Link Gps 24.4365005 / Link Gps 24.4366112 / Link Gps 24.4366665
Gps Coordinates / 24.4365005,123.0121078 / 24.4366112,123.0123367 / 24.4366665,123.012558
Kimura first estimated that the monument must be at least 10,000 years old, dating it to a period when it would have been above water, and therefore surmised that the site may be a remnant of the mythical lost continent of Mu. In a report given to the 21st Pacific Science Congress in 2007, he revised this estimate and dated it to 2,000 to 3,000 years ago because the sea level then was close to current levels. He suggests that after construction, tectonic activity caused it to be submerged below sea level. Archaeologist Richard J. Pearson believes this to be unlikely. Kimura believes he can identify a pyramid, castles, roads, monuments and a stadium. He now believes that these structures are remnants of Yamatai.
Gps Coordinates / 24.4363616,123.0128213
Supporters of artificial origin, such as Graham Hancock, also argue that while many of the features seen at Yonaguni are also seen in natural sandstone formations throughout the world, the concentration of so many peculiar formations in such a small area is highly unlikely. They also point to the relative absence of loose blocks on the flat areas of the formation, which would be expected if they were formed solely by natural erosion and fracturing. Robert M. Schoch, who believes the monument was formed geologically, has noted that the rocks are swept with strong currents.
