Yonaguni: The edge of Japan and perhaps the beginnings of civilization

Last week, I made my final internal trip within Japan.  Given it was my last trip (for now!), I wanted to go as far afield as I could while still remaining in Japan.  So, I headed to the most south-western edge of Japan—Yonaguni Island.

Okinawa, in brief

Yonaguni Island is located in Okinawa Prefecture (“Okinawa”).  Okinawa is a collection of islands spreading south-west of Japan for over 1,000 km.  This was my third trip to Okinawa.  I have developed quite an interest in this region which is so different to the rest of Japan.

Okinawa is a world of tropical humidity, sugar cane, pineapple plantations and some of the darkest looking Japanese people you will ever see.  It certainly doesn’t fit with the typical image of Japan!  

A typical image of Okinawa.  No Mt Fuji or cherry blossoms to be seen!

For centuries, the islands of Okinawa were a separate country called Ryukyu.  Culturally, Ryukyu was heavily influenced by China and had its own language.  In the early 1600s, Ryukyu was invaded and conquered by Japanese clans from the southern regions of the Japanese main islands.  In the late 1800s, Ryukyu was renamed Okinawa.  During WWII, the main island of Okinawa was subject to fierce fighting and was significantly damaged.  Following WWII, the US occupied Okinawa up until 1972 when it was returned to Japan.

Vestiges of Okinawa’s history are still visible today.  I think that the Chinese influence can still be found in Okinawan food, which is decidedly different to the cuisine of the rest of Japan, and Okinawan architecture.  In relation to architecture, almost every house in Okinawa has two statutes of lions, called shisa, at its entrance.  I’m no expert on Chinese culture, but shisa look decidedly like Chinese dragons to me (please see photo).  The shisa is like a symbol of Okinawa.  Shisas of all sizes are sold at souvenir shops and a shisa is the emblem of the local airline, Ryuku Air Commuter.  The US influence in Okinawa is still considerable given the number of US military personnel stationed there.  On my second trip to Okinawa, I stayed in a region called Chatan which is right next to the largest US base and filled with US military personnel.  Chatan is sometimes even referred to as Okinawa’s California! 

A large shisa in Naha, Okinawa

A shisa on the tail of a Ryukyu Air Commuter plane.

Aside from the above distinctive characteristics, Okinawa has two other claims to fame: (i) it invented karate and (ii) Okinawans (on average) live longer than people from other parts of Japan.  Given that longevity and karate are two things often associated with Japan, Okinawa is in some ways very Japanese while in other ways, not Japanese at all.

The south-west corner of Okinawa

The most western point of Japan.  Next stop, Taiwan!

Getting back to my trip to the south-west corner of Japan, I flew to Yonaguni which is the most western island of Okinawa and Japan.  

Yonaguni is 2,100 km from Tokyo and metaphorically 1,000 miles away!  The island has a population of approximately 1,500 people, few facilities and a circumference of about 30 km.  The most western point of Yonaguni, which is also the most western point of Japan, is a mere 108 km from Taiwan.  On a clear day, you can see Taiwan in the distance.

The  most southern point of Japan.  Next stop, the Philippines!

In addition to Yonaguni, I travelled to Hateruna Island which is slightly further south than Yonaguni and the most southern island of Japan.  Hateruna is even smaller than Yonaguni having a population of approximately 600 people.  The most southern point of Hateruna is a rocky coastline battered by the Philippine Sea.  This is Japan’s “Land’s End”.  From here, the next stop is the Philippines.  The northern side of Hateruna is decidedly different featuring a beautiful white sand beach called Nishihama, which is a major attraction for visitors. 

When visiting Hateruna, I felt as if I had truly reached the end of Japan.  The cedar forests and rugged snow-capped mountains of Japan’s main islands had been replaced by pale blue seas, coral reefs and suffocating humidity.  If I went any further, what remanents there were of Japan would quickly be replaced by the geography and culture of the South Pacific.  

Nishihama Beach on Hateruna Island.

The southern most coast of Japan is battered by the Philippine Sea.

The Beginnings of Civilization?:  The Yonaguni Monument  

The main reason I visited Yonaguni was to see the mysterious Yonaguni Monument (Kaitei Iseki).  The Yonaguni Monument is an underwater rock structure about 150m by 40m.  The top of the structure is 5m below sea level while the base is about 30m below sea level.  The mystery of the Yonaguni Monument is its origins.  Some believe it is an ancient ruins built by humans, while others believe it is a bizarre naturally occurring rock formation. 

Left to right: Me, Mr Aratake and a fellow diver.

The Yonaguni Monument was discovered by Kihachiro Aratake, a local Japanese diver, in 1987.  Mr Aratake now operates one of the diving centres on a Yonaguni and captained my diving expedition to the ruins.  Here is a photo of Mr. Aratake, myself and the other person I dived with.  A small number of academics have studied the Yonaguni Monument, but this has been made difficult by the remote nature of Yonaguni and the fact that the Yonaguni Monument is underwater in an area which is often rough and subject to strong currents.

Professor Misaaki Kimura of Ryukyus University in Okinawa has studied the Yonaguni Monument extensively and believes that it was made by humans.  I have posted an image of the three-dimensional model of the Yonaguni Monument Professor Kimura constructed as well as one of the pictures he has taken.  He believes that such a structure is far too irregular to occur naturally.  Alternatively, Dr Robert Schoch, a geologist at Boston University, believes the Yonaguni Monument is probably the natural result of erosion upon a particular form of rock strata.  However, Dr Schoch still thinks it is possible that this natural structure was embellished and modified by ancient people.  In short, opinion is divided and no-one knows for certain.  Based on the images of the Yonaguni Monument I have posted, what do you think? 

A photo of the Yonaguni Monument taken by Professor Kimura.

The model of the Yonaguni Monument constructed by Professor Kimura.

If the Yonaguni Monument was built by humans, it raises some interesting issues.  First and foremost, if it was built by humans, it must have been built when it was above sea-level.  This would have been at least 10,000 years ago (i.e. 8,000 BC), which was the time the last glacial age ended.   This is very old indeed.  In fact, it is during the Stone Age.  According to current historical theories about the evolution of humans, no group of humans was sufficiently advanced at that time to build something such as the Yonaguni Monument.  By comparison, the Pyramids at Giza were built around 2500 BC and Stone Henge is believed to have been built somewhere between 3000 BC and 2000 BC.  The Yonaguni Monument is far older than these structures as well as other famous ruins, such as Machu Pichu which was built in the 15^th century and the Easter Island Monuments (the Moai) which were built sometime between 1250 AD and 1500 AD.  If the Yonaguni Monument was made by humans, we may have to revise our views about the capabilities of ancient humans. 

Secondly, if the Yonaguni Monument was built by people, who were they and why did they build it?  Some have said that the Yonaguni Monument may have been built as a place for carrying out religious rituals related to the movements of the stars.  In support of this view, some believe that thousands of years ago the Tropic of Cancer was slightly further north than it currently is and may have been directly over the Yonaguni Monument.

What do I think are the origins of the Yonaguni Monument?  After diving on it, I am still undecided.  Unfortunately, due to the low visibility which often exists during diving, I could not see the Yonaguni Monument from afar and hence could not observe its overall shape.  I was only able to view individual parts of the monument, one at a time, from up close.  To me, certain parts looked like natural rock formations while other parts looked like the product of human intervention.  My reaction was that this was a naturally occurring rock formation (albeit a strange one) which has been modified by humans.  

If you would like to learn more about the Yonaguni Monument, you should watch this documentary. It’s called “Japan’s Mysterious Pyramids” and was made by the History Channel.  In my opinion, it is a little over-dramatized and its suggestion that the Yonaguni Monument may be the remains of Atlantis is a stretch.  Still, it is quite informative.

 In closing, I am not sure if I would recommend travelling all the way to Yonaguni simply to dive upon the Yonaguni Monument.  Although travelling to Yonaguni was quite a unique experience, diving upon the monument has not given me any further insight into its origins.  For now, the mystery of the Yonaguni Monument remains precisely that, a mystery.

Thank you for reading and take care.

Our Man in Japan