The Yonaguni Monument (Japanese: 与那国島海底地形Hepburn: Yonaguni-jima Kaitei Chikei, lit. "Yonaguni Island Submarine Topography"), also known as "Yonaguni (Island) Submarine Ruins" (与那国(島)海底遺跡Yonaguni(-jima) Kaitei Iseki), is a submerged rock formation off the coast of Yonaguni, the southernmost of the Ryukyu Islands, in Japan.
The sea off Yonaguni is a popular diving location during the winter months due to its large population of hammerhead sharks. 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 architectonic structures.
Masaaki Kimura, Professor Emeritus from the Faculty of Science at the University of the Ryukyusclaims that the formations are man-made stepped monoliths. His ideas are disputed and there is debate about whether the site is completely natural, a natural site that has been modified or a man-made artefact. Neither the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs, nor the government of Okinawa Prefecture recognise the features as important cultural artefacts and neither government agency has carried out research or preservation work on the site.
Sunken formations |
The formation called "The Turtle" |
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