The truth behind Japan's mysterious 'Atlantis' – BBC REEL

Beneath the coastal waters of the Japanese island of Yonaguni lies a series of mysterious rock formations. Since its discovery nearly 35 years ago, the strangely symmetrical shapes and structures of the 'Yonaguni Monument' have led to fierce debate over its true origins.

Could the odd shapes of this structure really have been carved by a lost Japanese civilisation many thousands of years ago, or is it just a stunning example of natural geology deep beneath the sea?

Video by Naotomo Umewaka

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[Slaphappy]

Always best to remember that sea levels were 120 metres lower during the last glacial maximum.

[mbanderson]

It would be more surprising not finding lost cities of Japan. More and more underwater settlements have been found each passing year. Human history outside Africa now dates back almost 400k years. We know nothing.

The formations on land don't show numerous staircase futures. This one shows many of them. I don't know that it's man-made but dismissing that idea seems sill just because there are flat rocks also on land.

[TheNera]

It looks like a quarry. I have seen old Roman quarries and they look like this. But this looks like bigger.

[alphonsobutlakiv]

The rocks could be natural, but that doesn't mean man didn't carve them flatter and cut stairways. A few of the above water formations may of been shaped too, though the stone may of remained in place or did not move far. Like saying mount Rushmore is a mountain, no one built it, it just looks like faces, and that's correct, but built and carved are very different things.

[matthewmckever]

There are plenty of straight lines in nature however I've never seen or heard of stairs or same height width step formations.
Has the area been mapped, seems an obvious "step" to make.

[どじゃーん-uz]

My personality think this is not a natural formation but an artificial one. The area where this topography is located was exposed on the surface in the 13th century, when the Gusuku era began. At that time, many castles were built in the Ryukyu Islands, and a lot of stone was needed. There are many remains of medieval stone quarries in the Ryukyu Islands. I believe these underwater ruins are former stone quarries that sank due to rising sea levels.

[daniel-itlw]

this could be an ancient quarry. it looks very similar to ones in Egypt, so man made but not a temple or city ruins. it would explain why one side is more chopped up then the other. if it is a quarry, where are the stones it provided????

[Siddhartha]

Could it be that it was a quarry site before in the ancient past?

[villejohn]

Come on. I don't believe that waves cut corners like that.

[tj]

That's where Aliens land their space ships.

[xwarrrmongerx]

After seeing what happened recently in the noto region of japan due to the 7.6 earthquake. That raised the sea floor 13 feet and exposed nearly 850 feet of new beaches along the coast and how active the area is.. I believe that underwater structure was once part of the natural landscape, fell into the ocean after a major earthquake. There has to be evidence of a major tsunami happening that can’t be explained because of it.

[chase_modugno]

Perhaps some group near the end of the Ice Age carved out these structures. During the Ice Age, the ocean was on average about 300 feet shallower than it is today. The Yonaguni Monument is about 100ft underwater.

[DanishGSM]

Thanks so much for the video and info.

[timothywade]

hi have dived this site about 12 years ago the place is amazing the currents might strong though you swim through the tunnel and come up on to the flat part then to the steps
amazing

[ReviewBoard-uynv]

Maybe these scientists have forgotten how artists work. You have naturally created structures that you use to make man made structures. eg. Khasneh (´Treasury´) at Petra. Jordan, Leshan Giant Buddha in China, Kailasa Temple in India, Lalibela in Ethiopia, Abu Simbel in Egypt etc It’s so obvious. The Japanese can’t be the only advanced culture without monolithic structures made from natural formations. And tool markings etc would have been washed away if this thing was made in 300 CE

[tyreekgonzales]

So the "truth" of these structures is that nobody really knows if they're natural or man made?

[anchorpoint]

Why is this not front page of all channels ? It means we have to rewrite completely our history and drop to the bin all history manuals....yet nobody is really talking about it..why ??

[dustywilson]

There's no way this place is naturally formed.

[angelafoxmusic]

So how about showing the "spiral staircase" mentioned by the first guy.

[krismctopher]

I saw cloud that looked like a horse but I knew it wasn't a horse because it was a goddamn cloud.