Yonaguni riddle: Scientists debate whether there is Atlantis under the Sea of ​​Japan

The discoveries are very much by chance. It’s part of the curiosity of travel. Yonaguni is the westernmost inhabited island in Japan and part of the Yaeyama Islands, only 108 kilometers off the coast of Taiwan. The surrounding marine waters are densely populated hammerhead sharks And over the years, they have become a popular hangout spot. Diving.

Only 36 years ago in 1986While diving deep in search of a good place to watch sharks, a manager Yonaguni-Cho Tourism Association, Kihachiro AratakeI found something strange at the bottom of the sea: He saw formations very similar to architectural structures.

Since then, many geologists from Japan and around the world have made expeditions to and studied the monument, but Hypotheses follow each other and the mystery remains firmly in this category. Did the forces of the earth and ocean create it? Or is it a remnant of an ancient city?

for Masaaki Kimura, a marine geologist at the University of the Ryukyus, Japan, who has dived the site to measure and chart its formations for over 15 years, “The submerged stone structures under the waters of Yonaguni Jima are actually the ruins of Japan’s Atlantis, an ancient city that was sunk by an earthquake about 2,000 years ago”.

This theory has been reinforced by his successive trips, and he insists on confirming this Below it lie the remains of a 5,000-year-old city.. “Biggest structure It looks like a stepped pyramid The complex, which rises from a depth of 25 meters,” he recounted at a scientific conference last June when he presented his latest theories about the site. But like other stories about sunken cities, Kimura’s allegations sparked controversy.

For many scholars It cannot be asserted that what you see are steps or terraces made by men. Many people agreed to point out It has to do with the underlying geology and the classic stratigraphy of sandstones, which tend to split along levels and give rise to these very straight edges, Especially in an area with many fault lines and tectonic activity.

“Not even Japan Government Agency for Cultural Affairs, nor government Okinawa Prefecture Identification of the remains in front of Yonaguni as Important Cultural Properties” Emiko Ishida, agency spokesperson in a National Geographic documentary. “None of the state agencies did research or maintenance work on the sites,” he added, “and left these efforts in the hands of professors and other interested parties.”

After first sighting, bump on Yonaguni Island Its name was unofficially changed to Iseki Hanto (site of ruins). Some experts believe the structures may be all that remains of Mu, the mythical Pacific civilization believed to have disappeared beneath the waves.

Upon learning of the discovery, Kimura’s first impression was that the formations can be normal. But He changed his mind after his first dive. “I think it’s very difficult to explain its origin as purely natural, because of the vast amount of evidence of human influence on structures,” He indicated in his official presentation.

The explorer claimed to have identified Quarry marks in stone, primitive characters engraved on carved faces, rocks carved in the shape of animals. “The characters and traces of animals in the water, which I was able to partially recover in my lab, indicate that The culture comes from the Asian continent. One of the examples I described is that the underwater sphinx looks like an ancient Okinawan king or a Chinese kinghe commented to his fans.

Whoever created the structures apparently Most of it sank in one of the massive seismic events for which this part of the Pacific coast is famous. The world’s largest tsunami struck Yonaguni Jima in April 1771 With waves capable of height more than 40 meters, So this fate would have befallen the ancient civilization as well.

Kimura identified ten buildings off Yonaguni and five associated buildings off the main island of Okinawa. the total, The ruins cover an area of ​​300 by 150 meters. structures They include the ruins of a fortress, a triumphal arch, five temples, and at least one large stadium, all connected by roads and aqueducts and partially protected by what could be huge giant walls, the explorer said..

He also said that ruin History from 5000 years at least, According to the dates of stalactites found inside underwater caves Which, according to him, sank with the city. Ruin-like structures have been found on the nearby coast and have produced charcoal dating back 1,600 years, a possible indication of an ancient human population. But it was difficult to find more direct evidence of human involvement at the site.

“Porcelain and wood do not last long on the ocean floor, but We are interested in further investigating a relief on the site that appears to be painted and resemble a cow.” Kimura has been added. We want to specify the composition of the board. I would also like to conduct an underground investigation.”

for this part, Toru Uchi, Co-professor Seismology at Kobe University, He is a specialist Supports Kimura’s hypothesis. In this regard, he expressed that he had never seen that tectonic activity had such an effect on the landscape, both above and below the water. I also dived there and touched the pyramid. What Professor Kimura says is not an exaggeration at all. It is easy to say that those effects were not due to earthquakes.” highlighted.

Meanwhile, infidels in front of the ancient city version say that the holes in the rock, which Kimura believed were used to support the pillars, They are simply created by underwater vortices that exhaust the depressions. Rows of smaller holes must have been formed by sea creatures taking advantage of a line in the rock to deepen their well.

Are these specialists, for example from Boston University who were also immersed in the area, and who confirmed it Correct angles and symmetry do not match in many places. For those who disagree with Kimura, they suggest it He sees what he wants to see.

However, the The new governor of Okinawa Prefecture and officials of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, recently expressed Your interest in reviewing the site. The best way to get a definitive answer about its origins is to keep going back and collecting more evidence. While, Yonaguni can hide an eastern Atlantis full of secrets, sleeping while waiting for someone to bring it back to life.

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