Kihachiro was born in Okinawa Prefecture, Yonaguni City in 1947 and has spent most of his life getting to know the seas around Okinawa and in particular around Yonagunijima. A pioneer in exploratory diving, since discovering the underwater monument off the coast of Yonagunijima in 1986 he has overseen numerous research trips to the site (including a visit from the late great skin diver Jacques Mayol), given interviews for the press and appeared in several documentaries. His mission is to spread the word about these mysterious structures which challenge some of the most fundamental historical assumptions about the birth of civilization.