Somashis Gupta, Editor Epic Words, shares the mystery of Yonaguni Pyramid city under the Pacific! Discovered off the coast of Japan’s Yonaguni Island, this ancient underwater structure has fascinated researchers and adventurers alike
Nestled in the waters off Japan’s Yonaguni Island lies a tantalising enigma ‘Yonaguni Pyramid City’ that has kept archaeologists, scientists, and divers hooked for decades. Here, beneath the waves, the remains of what some believe to be an ancient “pyramid city” shimmer in the blue. But what exactly is this submerged city? Who built it? And how did it end up deep underwater, evoking curiosity and debate around the globe?
In 1986, this mystery unfolded when Kihachiro Aratake, a local diving instructor, took a plunge near Yonaguni to explore the area’s famed “Hammerhead Shark Point.” Expecting to see a few of these predators prowling, he instead found something far more thrilling—an enormous, pyramid-shaped structure rising from the ocean floor. Aratake was gobsmacked; he had quite literally stumbled upon a submerged city.
Discovery and Debate
Upon returning to shore, Aratake shared his findings, sparking widespread excitement. His report eventually reached Professor Masaaki Kimura, a prominent marine geologist from Ryukyu University, who theorised that the underwater city might be part of the fabled lost continent of Mu, a civilisation thought to predate the great civilisations of Egypt and the Indus Valley. Kimura posited that rising sea levels following the last Ice Age may have submerged this ancient city, preserving it beneath the waves for over 10,000 years.
Kimura’s theory, though thrilling, didn’t win universal acceptance. Geologists and archaeologists from around the world flocked to Yonaguni, each with their own ideas. While Kimura saw stairs, streets, and temples carved with precision, others argued that the formation was purely natural, sculpted by tidal erosion over millennia. Critics, like American archaeologist John Anthony West, dismissed it as a natural structure, pointing to its geological composition of sandstone and clay rather than any trace of human craftsmanship. To West, it was nothing more than a particularly symmetrical outcrop.
Mystery and Intrigue
Nevertheless, the story captured imaginations around the world. The mysterious formations cover an impressive 45,000 square metres, complete with terraces, staircases, and even what appears to be a large gateway. Explorers have even reported discovering stone slabs with what look like inscriptions—though deciphering these has proven impossible, adding yet another layer to the riddle.
Curious thrill-seekers and intrepid divers regularly descend into the depths to catch a glimpse of the Yonaguni ruins for themselves, and the experience has become something of an underwater pilgrimage. For many visitors, the city’s peculiar, otherworldly beauty, coupled with the eeriness of its silent depths, only deepens the enigma. Are they swimming through the remnants of a once-great civilisation, or are they merely exploring an elaborate, natural structure carved by the whims of nature?
The Mu Connection
In the 19th century, French and British archaeologists began speculating about a lost civilisation called Mu, a grand continent believed to have vanished into the Pacific. The Yonaguni structures, with their pyramidal shapes and other supposed architectural features, seemed to fit this myth like glove. Believers in Mu argue that an ancient catastrophe—most likely an earthquake—destroyed this civilisation, sinking it beneath the sea in a flash.
Yet, despite the alluring notion of Mu, many sceptics wave this theory aside, claiming that there’s no hard evidence of such a continent’s existence. Modern technology, including satellite mapping, hasn’t revealed any sign of a submerged continent.
A Mystery for the Ages
In 1997, Japanese businessman Yasuo Watanabe funded an expedition with international experts to investigate Yonaguni’s underwater marvels. His team’s findings threw another spanner into the works: they concluded that the structures are most likely natural formations. Still, Watanabe’s findings have not quashed the city’s allure.
Today, the Yonaguni ruins remain an unsolved mystery, a place where science and myth collide. The Japanese government has taken an interest, conducting mapping projects and encouraging further study, while the Yonaguni diving industry thrives on the intrigue. Whether the site is a feat of nature or a remnant of a lost city, Yonaguni Island’s underwater pyramids continue to captivate divers, adventurers, and conspiracy theorists alike.
In the end, whether this “pyramid city” is a natural wonder or a vestige of a forgotten civilisation, one thing’s for certain: the mysteries of the deep are far from over.
