The verification by Yousuke Kaifu that Yonaguni Island is visible from Taiwan underscores the Japanese anthropologist’s theory that his ancestors could have migrated to Japan from Taiwan.
Kaifu is a proponent of the theory that people migrated to Japan from Taiwan via the Kuroshio Current.
To test his theory, the National Museum of Prehistory and the Japanese National Museum of Nature and Science have collaborated on a project titled: “Navigating 30,000 Years Ago: Crossing the Kuroshio Current.”
Photo: Huang Ming-tang, Taipei Times
If Yonaguni Island was visible from Taiwan, it could have been an impetus for those living there to travel to the island, National Museum of Prehistory assistant researcher Agilasay Pakawyan said.
Humans are known to attempt risky endeavors and it is possible that even without a direct line of sight some people would have nonetheless put to sea for the sake of exploration, he said.
Taiwan is 1,253 times the size of Yonaguni and even when the weather is good, residents of the island can only see the Central Mountain Range about 10 days a year, making it much more difficult to see Yonaguni Island from Taiwan.
However, based on rumors that Yonagani Island is visible from either the Central Mountain Range or Sandiaojiao (三貂角) in New Taipei City, Kaifu visited Taiwan in 2017 and confirmed, after three days, that Yonaguni Island is visible to the naked eye when viewing at an altitude of 1,000m on Taroko Mountain (太魯閣大山), Agilasay said.
The results of Kaifu’s observations were published in Japan in March last year.
Meanwhile, a canoe launched as part of the project on Monday from Changbin Township (長濱), Taitung County, crewed by five and relying on the stars to stay true to ancient navigation techniques, arrived at Yonaguni Island on Tuesday.
The distance between Cape Wushibi (烏石鼻) near Changbin and the coast of Yonaguni Island, one of the Yaeyama Islands, is 205km when traveled in a straight line, but the closest point from Taiwan to Yonaguni is Yilan, which is only 110km away.
The success of the voyage lends credibility to Kaifu’s theory, Agilasay said, adding that the next question after confirming the validity of the migratory path is why it was used.
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