A Japanese scientist studying underwater rock formations off the coast of Japan claims that these are traces of the Asian analogue of Atlantis - an ancient civilization swallowed up by the ocean 3 thousand years ago
Marine geologist Masaaki Kimura says he identified the ruins of a city off the coast of Yonaguni Island, on the southwestern border of Japan.
The mysterious rocks were found in 1985 by scuba diving tourists. Kimura worked for decades to prove that these are traces of an ancient city that may have spawned the legend of the land of Mu, the Pacific equivalent of the legend of the lost city of the Atlanteans.
“Based on the structure and location of the ruins, the city should have looked like ancient Roman cities,” said Kimura, professor at Ryukyu University and head of the non-profit Association for the Study of Marine Science and Cultural Heritage. "I see a statue, like a triumphal arch, standing to the left of the Colosseum, and a temple on the hill."
“According to my estimates, the castle was located right in the center of the city. There were also found many ruins of buildings similar to temples, although not as large as a castle."
The scientist believes that the city was washed away during an earthquake 3 thousand years ago.
However, many scientists dispute his claim, believing that the ruins may have been formed by natural causes such as tidal and volcanic activity.
They also say that several artifacts, such as clay pots or weapons, only prove that humans lived among rock formations. Kimura stays with her convictions.
“I'm pretty sure this is a mysterious civilization, lost in the tectonic deformation of the Pacific,” he says.