Source: Asahi

Archaeologists diving off the coast of Shizuoka Prefecture say they have stumbled upon what may be ruins of a submerged city. They believe that the structure - which sits at depths between 20 and 50 meters - dates to the Kamakura Period (1192-1333).

The team has pinpointed about 20 sites of interest within a 1-square-kilometer area, and believe that the structures are manmade. The dating is based on local records which describe land sinking in 1247.




Locals have known of the structure for some time, with scuba instructor Hidenori Kunitsugu having dived on the site since 1975. Among his discoveries are a set of steps carved out of stone, as well as flagstones and stone walls.
"As far as I can see from photographs, these structures were not created naturally," said Torao Mozai, an underwater archaeologist and professor emeritus of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. "The evidence points to artificial construction.''
The discovery is sure to renew interest in the controversial Yonaguni site, where structures were discovered but dismissed by scholars as natural formations. The findings will also serve to reinforce the main thesis of alternative author Graham Hancock's book UNDERWORLD (available from Amazon US and UK ), in which he devoted a section to the possibility of submerged cities in Japan.