Tom Moya-reef

Tom Moya-reef

Castle at Kerama - Gusuku
Castle at Kerama - Gusuku

Tom Moya-reef, a coral reef, which emerge in a U-shape in the off of Akajima Island in the south of Kerama Islands. At the seabed in the vicinity of this place, some strange structures were found. Firstly, the “Center Circle ” which other stones is drawn centering on a huge stone of about 3 meters that attracts people's attention. The stone circle which is the cromlech, a small shrine and Gusuku attract oversea researchers' attention because artificial structures close up, but this place is a difficult point to dive so long as the timing isn't right because the flow of tide is fast and the change is sharp.

Castle at Kerama - Gusuku: There is a rock which was composed in a huge plain where a castle wall rises up on the west side of Tom Moya Reef. In the center of that, a straight road of 2 meters wide continues. In some places, there are traces that the stairs were built up, and it is a different aspect completely from the seabed like the surrounding nature.

Centercicle
Stone Circle

Centercircle: Million of the stonecircles were found like a cromlech very often seen at Tohoku are in Honshu when we go to the south 20 to 30 meters from the “Centercircle”. They are 2 to 6 meters in diameter, and each stone isn't big and 30 to 40 centimeters in diameter. Around here there aren't many fish for some reason. Moreover, the stream is fast, and can dive.

Center Circle
Center Circle

Tom Moya Reef is in the Kerama Islands and has become a diving point. There is a point called the “Centre Circle” The Center Circle means that they place one stone at the center, arrange some huge stones like surrounding the stone. The height of stone at the center is 3 meters and is about 3 meters in diameter next to the hexagonal pole.

The surrounding stones have various forms but the height of them is the same. The space between stones is arranged in order extends radially like a passage. Moreover, when we go to this road ahead, there is another center circle. The composition of the basic stone and the stone building a circle which put on it is different, so some people indicate that this was carried here from somewhere artificially.

 

 

 

 

 Small Shrine
Small Shrine

Small Shrine: There is a structure which is look as if some stones were accumulated in the dome type in the west of 20 meters. It is about 1 meter tall and has a wide space where a few children can fit. It has a form like a Kamakura, the local divers call it the “Small Shrine”(Hokora), but there isn't a belief which people build a small shrine in such Japan in Okinawa. There is also a theory of the ancient stonework, “Dolmen” built by combining the stones, but an old man in a certain island indicated the common point with the form of an old tomb.

Other places

Nishibama Beach
Nishibama Beach is a natural beach which is on the east of Aka Island. Its emerald green colored sed is very suitable for swimming.
Akajima Marine Science Laboratory
Akajima Marine Science Laboratory (AMSL) is a private institution which was established in 1988 under the auspices of the Science and Technology Agency, Japan.
Statue of Shiro at Aka island
Shiro swam for about two miles for three hours every day to see and play with Marilyn - his girlfriend.