Conclusion: The aerial image is genuine and shows experimental Japanese cedar plots near Nichinan, Miyazaki Prefecture. Planted beginning in fiscal 1973 (seedlings in March 1974), the concentric layout compares planting densities from roughly 377 to 10,027 trees per hectare. Research from 2011 and a final 2023 report identified lower-cost or cost-effective density ranges roughly between 1,500 and 2,800 trees per hectare, explaining the visible height and canopy differences that form the ‘‘mystery circles.’p>
Fact Check: The ‘Mystery Circles’ Are Real — Experimental Cedar Plots Near Nichinan, Japan
Reddit u/Impressive_East_, illustrated by Snopes
An aerial photograph showing rings of trees arranged in concentric circles is authentic. The images depict two experimental stands of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) planted near Nichinan in Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu. Contrary to sensational claims, the pattern is not supernatural or artistic — it’s the visible result of a deliberate forestry experiment testing planting density.
What the Photo Shows
Two experimental plots in a national forest were planted in concentric rings so each ring represented a different spacing regimen. From the air, the rings appear as distinct ‘‘mystery circles’’ because trees planted at wider spacings grew taller and developed different canopy densities than those planted more closely together.
When and Why It Was Planted
The Miyazaki Southern Forest Management Office (part of Japan’s Forestry Agency) says the trial was established in fiscal 1973, and seedlings were planted in March 1974. The study was prompted by shifting demand in the local timber market: Obi cedar had been planted at low densities for shipbuilding, but later demand favored wood for general construction. Managers therefore tested a wide range of densities to determine the best trade-off between wood quality, growth and economic returns.
Planting Densities and Key Findings
- Planting densities in the experiment ranged approximately from 377 to 10,027 trees per hectare.
- Observers from the Associated Press noted that trees on the outer ring reached roughly 20 meters (about 66 feet), around 5 meters (roughly 16 feet) taller than those near the center — reflecting density effects on growth.
- A 2011 study of the Obi-sugi plots (Fukuchi et al.) recommended densities around 2,000–2,800 trees per hectare for lower-cost forestry in the study context.
- The experiment’s final report (fiscal 2023) concluded planting densities of about 1,500 trees per hectare or fewer could be effective when balancing financial returns and afforestation costs.
Where To See It
The Miyazaki Southern Forest Management Office provided coordinates for the site: 31°43'50.0"N, 131°23'05.0"E. The rings are visible on Google Maps and Google Earth. The photograph first appeared publicly at least as early as December 2018 (Sankei News), is archived in the Associated Press photo collection, and was reexamined in fact-checking coverage in 2024 and again when it recirculated in 2026.
Why This Matters
The site is a straightforward example of applied forestry research: planting design was chosen to allow side-by-side comparisons of spacing effects on growth, wood quality and economics. Over decades, those spacing choices produced visible differences in canopy height and density that are easy to spot from above — hence the enduring public interest in the ‘‘mystery circles.’’
Sources And Further Reading
Primary information comes from the Miyazaki Southern Forest Management Office (Kyushu Regional Forest Office), the Sankei News photo (2018), an Associated Press photo archive entry, a 2011 Journal of the Japanese Forest Society paper by Fukuchi et al., and prior fact-checks (Snopes, 2024). The site can also be viewed on Google Maps/Earth at the coordinates above.
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