Yonagunijima

Yonagunijima

Yonagunijima is on Japan's western edge, thus making it also the westernmost island in the country. The mountains of Taiwan, which is only 111 km away, can be seen rising up from the horizon on a clear day. The narrow island of Yonagunijima runs from east to west and has a unique dynamic landscape that rises and falls. It was known as a particularly difficult place to reach from nearby islands due to Yonagunijima being surrounded by the Kurushio Current (also known as the Japan Current).

The island is now well-known for its diving, and many divers come to see the hammerhead sharks that can be seen off the west cape in winter. Near the south shore of Yonagunijima are what are said to be the ruins of buildings constructed by the people of the lost continent of Mu. The large rocks on the sea floor that are cut at right angles, and whose tops are at the same angle as the surface of the water, have a mysterious ambience.