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Oshima & Okinawa: A Japanese Escapade

Diving in Japan is diverse, with temperate waters in places such as Izu Oshima in the Tokyo Islands, and warmer, tropical waters in Okinawa. Pierre Constant tells of his visit to these two disparate locations and the variety of marine life he encountered at each.

Words:
Pierre Constant
Images:
Pierre Constant and Kirin Sekito
Endemic Japanese pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus japapigu
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Travel & Trips

It was a long, overnight flight from Amsterdam to reach Japan. The plane landed at Tokyo Narita Airport mid-morning. An intimidating monster-city of concrete, steel and glass, Tokyo had surprisingly clean and tidy streets dotted with several parks and green areas. Expecting my arrival, my Japanese son, Kirin Sekito, met me there, accompanied by his lovely 7-year-old daughter, all smiles. A professional underwater photographer and videographer, Kirin is a rising star in Japan, with many followers on social media. He would be my official guide for the next nine days on this dive trip.

Meet Two New Species of Pygmy Squid

Two new species of pygmy squid in the waters of Okinawa, Japan have been identified and catalogued, according to a new study.

Ecology & Science

The deep, emerald waters surrounding Japan's Okinawa Islands are a haven for marine life, and is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Within this vast biodiverse haven, scientists have discovered two new species of pygmy squid lurking beneath the surface: the Ryukyuan Pygmy Squid and Hannan's Pygmy Squid.

These two species have now been described and catalogued, with names that connect them to Japan's cultural heritage. Findings have been published in the Marine Biology journal. 

Wreck of World War II submarine USS Grayback discovered off Japan

The U.S.S. Grayback, one of WWII’s most successful U.S. submarines, was discovered 1,400 feet below sea level off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, by explorer Tim Taylor and his team on 5 June and the find announced on 10 November.

Wrecks & Archaeology

The submarine was found by the Lost 52 Project, which locates lost U.S. World War II submarines, and is the first U.S. submarine discovered off the coast of Japan. Japanese records indicate that the sub was sunk by a 500-pound bomb dropped by a naval bomber in February 1944.

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Okinawa

Okinawa—simply saying the name has so many connotations. The island itself is huge, and yet it’s an oceanic island far from the Asian continent. It takes two and half hours to fly from Hong Kong, the closest point on mainland China, to get here.

Words:
Farhat Jah
Images:
Farhat Jah
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Travel & Trips

Japan has a plethora of Pacific Ocean islands that are unknown to the world. There are three main sets of islands south of Kyushu: the Nansei Islands, the Sakishima Islands and the Yaeyama Islands.

 

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