© Copyright Lorena Loo
The Mysterious Pyramids of Japan
©Lorena Loo
©Lorena Loo
In 1987, scuba divemaster Kihachiro Aratake was exploring the waters off the tiny island of Yonaguni. He was in search of the breeding grounds of hammerhead sharks, believing they would be the key to boosting tourist traffic to the area. During one of his dives, he found a treasure of another kind, one that left him in complete awe.
Known only to the local community of divers, the undersea world off the shores of Yonaguni harbored megalithic stone structures which remained undiscovered until Aratake spotted the first in 1987. With clean cut lines, sharp edges and seemingly right-angles, this stone structure was over 500 feet in length and higher than an 8-storey building. Aratake said it immediately appeared to him to be ruins of an ancient civilization and so he named the location Iseki (meaning “ruins” in Japanese) Point.
In 1992, Masaaki Kimura, a professor of Physical Sciences at the University of Ryukyus, Okinawa, became the first scientist to explore and measure the structure at Iseki Point, dubbed No. 1 monument. After a decade of study (which is still ongoing) and over 100 dives to the structure, Kimura concluded the monument is manmade. In fact, when he first set sight on the monument at Iseki, his first thought was of the pyramids in Egypt.
Since the structure had to have been carved above water, Kimura placed its date to the Ice Age. That had to be the time when the monument was last above water and so dated back to at least 8,000 years ago. Such a date would mean the structure pre-dated the pyramids of Egypt which then flies in the face of standard archaeology in terms of accepted historical timeline.
It was not until 1997 that news first reached western scientists of the discovery off Yonaguni. Geologist Robert Schoch of Boston University then became the first western scientist to investigate the Yonaguni monument. Schoch earned a reputation as an open-minded scientist whose main claim to fame was dating the oldest portion of the Sphinx in Egypt to at least 5,000 BC from seismic studies and examining erosion patterns. Previous standard theory had attributed a date of 2,500 BC to the Sphinx.
Schoch had been initially excited by photographs he had seen of the structure. But after firsthand close examination of the monument, he felt that natural processes particular to the region such as erosion could account for the clean, sharp structures. Though, Schoch emphasizes he is not completely dismissing the possibility the monument is manmade or at the very least, a natural structure modified by human hands, to this date he feels there is not sufficient evidence to conclude that Iseki Point’s No. 1 monument was crafted by humans rather than nature.
Since the initial discovery at Iseki Point, more such underwater monuments have been discovered in the waters of the Pacific off Okinawa. Professor Kimura is a strong proponent they are manmade and evidence of an ancient civilization. His argument against the erosion theory of Schoch is that if this had been the case, there would be debris from the erosion process around the site. To date no such debris has been found.
One of the more recent discoveries was that of the “Stage,” a large flat, two -sided structure located about ½ from the main monument. On its side are carved what are described as enormous faces with deep sunken eyes. One of them appears to have bird wings or a headress carved off of the face as observed by a diver to the site.
Known only to the local community of divers, the undersea world off the shores of Yonaguni harbored megalithic stone structures which remained undiscovered until Aratake spotted the first in 1987. With clean cut lines, sharp edges and seemingly right-angles, this stone structure was over 500 feet in length and higher than an 8-storey building. Aratake said it immediately appeared to him to be ruins of an ancient civilization and so he named the location Iseki (meaning “ruins” in Japanese) Point.
In 1992, Masaaki Kimura, a professor of Physical Sciences at the University of Ryukyus, Okinawa, became the first scientist to explore and measure the structure at Iseki Point, dubbed No. 1 monument. After a decade of study (which is still ongoing) and over 100 dives to the structure, Kimura concluded the monument is manmade. In fact, when he first set sight on the monument at Iseki, his first thought was of the pyramids in Egypt.
Since the structure had to have been carved above water, Kimura placed its date to the Ice Age. That had to be the time when the monument was last above water and so dated back to at least 8,000 years ago. Such a date would mean the structure pre-dated the pyramids of Egypt which then flies in the face of standard archaeology in terms of accepted historical timeline.
It was not until 1997 that news first reached western scientists of the discovery off Yonaguni. Geologist Robert Schoch of Boston University then became the first western scientist to investigate the Yonaguni monument. Schoch earned a reputation as an open-minded scientist whose main claim to fame was dating the oldest portion of the Sphinx in Egypt to at least 5,000 BC from seismic studies and examining erosion patterns. Previous standard theory had attributed a date of 2,500 BC to the Sphinx.
Schoch had been initially excited by photographs he had seen of the structure. But after firsthand close examination of the monument, he felt that natural processes particular to the region such as erosion could account for the clean, sharp structures. Though, Schoch emphasizes he is not completely dismissing the possibility the monument is manmade or at the very least, a natural structure modified by human hands, to this date he feels there is not sufficient evidence to conclude that Iseki Point’s No. 1 monument was crafted by humans rather than nature.
Since the initial discovery at Iseki Point, more such underwater monuments have been discovered in the waters of the Pacific off Okinawa. Professor Kimura is a strong proponent they are manmade and evidence of an ancient civilization. His argument against the erosion theory of Schoch is that if this had been the case, there would be debris from the erosion process around the site. To date no such debris has been found.
One of the more recent discoveries was that of the “Stage,” a large flat, two -sided structure located about ½ from the main monument. On its side are carved what are described as enormous faces with deep sunken eyes. One of them appears to have bird wings or a headress carved off of the face as observed by a diver to the site.
Whether these "underwater pyramids" of Japan are actually remnants of an ancient lost civilization or not, there are those such as John Anthony West who believe the Pacific Rim and the Mediterranean are the places to look for such evidence. Curiously enough, Yonaguni is located on the Pacific Rim in the North Pacific. Easter Island is a little further out from the Rim in the South Pacific.
The Morien Institute's website presents the views of both Dr. Schoch and Dr. Kimura on the Iseki Point discovery. There you can view additional photos.
The History Channel aired a documentary on Japan's pyramids. By good fortune, I discovered that documentary on Guba Video and am able to include here for those interested in watching it.
The Morien Institute's website presents the views of both Dr. Schoch and Dr. Kimura on the Iseki Point discovery. There you can view additional photos.
The History Channel aired a documentary on Japan's pyramids. By good fortune, I discovered that documentary on Guba Video and am able to include here for those interested in watching it.
The sunken eyes are quite reminiscent of the stone statues called Moai of Easter Island. Like Yonaguni, which at 6 miles long and 2 miles wide takes only 40 minutes to drive around its perimeter, Easter Island is quite small at 65 square miles. The closest continent to it is 2,000 miles away and the nearest inhabitated island is 1,400 miles away. Easter Island is considered the most isolated, inhabited location in the entire world.
Red dot indicates location of Yonaguni on World Map
Gold dot indicates location of Easter Island
Gold dot indicates location of Easter Island
Text and images (unless otherwise indicated in the credits) are copyrighted
© by Lorena Loo
© by Lorena Loo
In the instances where images in the public domain have been modified as in the case of geometrizing them, the modified images are no longer public domain but the copyright of the author who made the modifications. Here that means me, Lorena Loo. That is by copyright law.
Images:
Face carved into "Stage" at Iseki Point, closeup and further back: Still snapshots taken from History Channel documentary Ancient Marvels: Japan's Mysterious Pyramids
World Map: University of Texas, Perry Casteneda Map (2003)
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_maps/world_rel_803005AI_2003.jpg
Images:
Face carved into "Stage" at Iseki Point, closeup and further back: Still snapshots taken from History Channel documentary Ancient Marvels: Japan's Mysterious Pyramids
World Map: University of Texas, Perry Casteneda Map (2003)
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/world_maps/world_rel_803005AI_2003.jpg
Left: Closeup of face carved onto side of "Stage"
Right: View of same face from further back highlight the "headress" seemingly carved off the side of the face
(Click images to enlarge)
Right: View of same face from further back highlight the "headress" seemingly carved off the side of the face
(Click images to enlarge)
