The Submerged Ruins of Yonaguni • Aliens from the Past

On the south cost of Yonaguni, Japan, there are submerged ruins that are about 10,000 years old and their origin is still much debated.

The sea on the Japanese island of Yonaguni is a popular dive site during the winter months due to its large population of hammerhead sharks. In 1986, while looking for a good place to observe sharks, Kihachiro Aratake, director of the Yonaguni-Cho Tourism Association, observed some formations on the seabed that resembled architectural structures.

The process revealed many surprising discoveries, including what appears to be a massive arch or portal of huge blocks of stone that seemed to fit perfectly, right-angled junctions, notches and what appeared to be stairs, paved and crossroads and grand staircases leading to squares surrounded by pairs of tall features that resemble poles.

Its main structure was called the "Yonaguni Monument", superficially it has the appearance similar to a platform or a pyramid of steps. It has been compared to several pyramidal structures and temples in the Americas, such as the ancient "Temple of the Sun" in Machu Picchu, Peru.

Sketch of the Yonaguni Monument

Dr. Kimura refers to the Yonaguni Monument and its related structures as being "terraformed", that is, natural geological resources that have been manipulated or modified by human hands.

The Yonaguni Monument is more than 50 meters long in the east-west direction and more than 20 meters wide in the north-south direction. Its top is about 5 meters below sea level, while the base is approximately 25 meters below the surface. It is an asymmetrical structure with what appear to be titanic stone steps exposed on its south face. These steps range from less than a meter to several meters in height.

When looking at the photographs of the Yonaguni Monument, many people have an immediate impression, due to the regularity of the stone faces of the steps and the sharp angles made by the rock, which is an artificial structure, created by some unknown ancient civilization.

Kimura estimated that the monument should date from 8,000 B.C., a period when it would be above water and therefore assumed that the site could be a remnant of the mythical lost continent of Mu.

Turtle-shaped structure

Many scholars have refused to accept that the ruins are human-made buildings. The geometric shapes, the very right angles, have been attributed to "natural agents". Geologist Robert Schoch of Boston University is one of the scientists who believes that structures were formed naturally, recognizing that they may have been used or modified by humans in the past. He points to the fact that the site is in an earthquake-prone region and that earthquakes tend to fracture rocks on a regular basis.

However, other researchers claim that the Yonaguni seabed is the tomb of a prosperous civilization possibly much older than Sumer.

Proponents of artificial origin, such as researcher Graham Hancock, also argue that while many of the features seen in Yonaguni are also seen in natural sandstone formations around the world, the concentration of so many peculiar formations in such a small area is highly unlikely. . He also points to the relative absence of loose blocks in the flat areas of the formation, which would be expected if they were formed only by natural erosion and fracturing.

The gigantic ruins of Yonaguni

On May 4, 1998, an earthquake hit part of the Yonaguni Island and ruins, the quake revealed new structures similar to Mesopotamian ziggurats. Marks were found on the stones that show the work done on them, including carvings. Tools and a small staircase were also found. The hypothesis of natural formation in Yonaguni became, then, hardly plausible.

Until 6,000 years ago, the ruins were immersed lands, linked to the continent. Rising sea levels over the ages have submerged territories like those on the coast of Yonaguni. Geological studies have estimated the age of these monuments to be 11,000 years old, which would place them as one of the oldest buildings on the planet.

Hancock draws parallels between Yonaguni and other submerged ruins found under the waters of Lake Titicaca and in Dwarka, on the coast of India, which offer further evidence of the existence of a vast underwater world containing structures dating back to the beginnings of mankind and says: "It was Japan's submerged structures that first awoke me to the possibility that an underworld in history, unrecognized by archaeologists, could be hidden and forgotten under the sea"

Researchers continue to investigate these unique and perplexing underwater worlds with regard to how they relate to our ancient past and to unravel the mysteries surrounding their true origins.