Okinawa, Japan: Forty-five metres beneath the Pacific Ocean, Tokyo-based technical wreck diver Kingo Wakasa carefully moves alongside the rusting remains of the USS Emmons, an American destroyer that became a war grave during the final months of World War II.
The wreck, lying off northern Okinawa near Kouri Island, is a silent reminder of one of the most intense periods of the Pacific War.
A Warship Destroyed in 1945
The USS Emmons was scuttled on April 6, 1945, after being struck by five Japanese kamikaze aircraft during the Battle of Okinawa.
The ship eventually came to rest on the seabed, surrounded by the remains of the aircraft involved in the attack as well as shattered pieces of the destroyer itself.
Decades later, the underwater site has become an important historical record of the war.
A Personal Connection to the Wreck
For 56-year-old Wakasa, exploring the Emmons is more than an exercise in underwater archaeology.
His grandfather served as an officer during the war, giving the wreck a deeply personal significance.
Wakasa has completed approximately 950 dives, including around 250 dives on the USS Emmons.
Each descent allows him to document parts of the wreck and record artifacts that may otherwise disappear forever.
Racing Against Time
The diver’s work has become increasingly urgent because seawater and corrosion continue to destroy the wreck.
Wakasa regularly returns to the site to map previously undocumented objects and preserve information about what remains.
Underwater wrecks are particularly vulnerable to natural deterioration. As decades pass, metal structures weaken, equipment collapses and objects can become buried beneath sediment.
For Wakasa, documenting the site before those traces disappear is therefore a race against time.
Preserving the Memory of War
The USS Emmons is not simply a sunken military vessel. It is also the final resting place connected to one of the bloodiest campaigns of World War II.
By recording the ship and objects scattered around it, Wakasa is helping preserve a physical connection to a period that is increasingly distant from living memory.
At 45 metres below the Pacific, his dives offer a rare glimpse into history—one that could eventually vanish beneath corrosion, sediment and the passage of time.
