The Kera, Japan, UFO Encounters Revisited. Can ATS Identify This Object?

Ok. Prime example of why this is so deliciously frustrating...

I find this and I am thinking (as member Boncho would say) Buzinga!...





And then I find this!!!



That is actually a tiny little Japanese travel hibachi (with box).

Like most of the artifacts that I have looked at while trying to figure this out, it is really close but not quite it. I doubt the basic design of Japanese travel hibachis has changed much in probably 100 years.

On the other hand it could be a boutique piece made for a restaurant or a store and I think it is our best guess yet if it is indeed a mundane item or constructed of mundane items.

Hooo.

Or it could simply be a hand warmer of some kind.

oops i said computer when in fact it said radio.. sorry about that.

Fujimoto’s father, Mutsuo, was the current director of the Center for Science Education in the city of Kōchi.

“The frequent nights out of the boys began to worry parents, I told my son if it was true what he said, to bring the object. He did: it was something like an ashtray, cast iron, but too light for this metal. (It) had a top down it was impossible to open and inside were pieces similar to a radio. I did not give more importance, but now I regret not having studied more closely.”

Wow, guys, look at this detail...

I thought that the round thing in the middle was meant to pop off. The reason that I thought this is because I thought those four little flanges recessed in to the lid of the thing.

That is not the case.




This really is weird, guys, because it lends credence to the story of the boys and Miro's father that they could not remove the lid.

It is also for this reason that I thought it would be easy to debunk this thing. I am not thinking that at the moment.

Looks like the top was not meant to come off as easily as it would appear had these been recessed flanges. That means this thing would not really make sense for coal briquets for food or incense and it would not even really be useful as a flower vase.

What do you think guys and gals?

my guess is on it being a fire alarm with some kind of rusted bell inside.

Originally posted by Frater210
Or it could simply be a hand warmer of some kind.

old kotatsu heater sounds possible also but it cant be opened to put coals in.

reply to post by gougitousakusha


Thanks for the input, but check my post above if you have not. It looks like the thing may not have opened so easily after all.



Just wanted to add that I thought what appear to be the little 'flanges' (at first) could be some sign of some kind of casting or injection molding but now I don't think so.

Edit: Injection molding invented in 1872. Editor out.

In China they have charcoal bricks that they use to have open fires (they cook things on sticks on them) These bricks are in the form of cylinders about 5 inches tall and about 4-5 inches diameter. What occurs to me is that one of these would just fit inside nicely and the holes at the top would allow the smouldering charcoal brick to vent smoke. If you started the charcoal up and then placed it inside this thing, the heat on the circular middle plate would spread to the outside larger ring allowing things to be cooked or heated.

The inference is that there are electronic pieces inside but no-one can open it.
Any ET gizmo is not going to be made from what we know as electronic components.
The light comes out of where? the holes in the base or from the actual device itself?
The carvings on the metal are very 'human' - ish and not ET-ish at all. (What makes us thing they would have the same things on their planet as we do here, their biology may be totally different and so may not need physical food as we know it.)

Yes, I do believe there are small aliens, but if there were, then the materials they made these things out of, would be smaller too. If a resistor was in that gizmo, then it would be the equivalent to a large fire extinguisher in size - relative to an ET small enough to be inside that thing.

No, there are too many human-ish parts to this story and not enough plain wierd other-worldly parts. Sorry I think it is a hoax.
Q

reply to post by Frater210
I think the object could be custom-made for the hoax. This would make finding a comparable object unlikely. The reason for thinking this, is that any common object would be identified immediately in Japan or elsewhere. If the case generated a lot of interest even less common objects would be identified by someone. No doubt Japan has a similar set-up as us with familiar personalities known as debunkers.

The story is extraordinary in detail and length and actually has episodes! This level of elaboration suggests, to me, that it's made-up. So, if it was made-up by the boys, and assisted by someone with access to a workshop and lathe, they were committed to the scheme.

Years later, with Namiki showing up, is it more or less likely that they'd confess or keep to the story? Only they know. The girls from the famous Cottingley Fairies story held their tongues for 60 years.

Of course, there's always an element of uncertainty in crying 'hoax' at old cases. Maybe it happened as described? The object reminds me very much of the Edwin Fuhr reporting of 1974. These things were apparently much bigger although similar in shape

reply to post by qmantoo

In China they have charcoal bricks that they use to have open fires (they cook things on sticks on them) These bricks are in the form of cylinders about 5 inches tall and about 4-5 inches diameter.

This may be, but it looks like the easiest way to get the lid off of the Kera object would be to tip it over or somehow the inner circle is threaded. Because if you look at my posts from the top you will see that is does not look like the lid comes off easily.

For instance those things that look like recessed flanges, that would afford easy removal of the lid, are not flanges at all.

The inference is that there are electronic pieces inside but no-one can open it. Any ET gizmo is not going to be made from what we know as electronic components.

I totally hear you on this one. It does not make sense to me either and it sounds like the boys may have been watching science fiction.

Yes, I do believe there are small aliens,

Then you should definitely check out this thread...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Sorry I think it is a hoax.

That is what we are here to find out. So you think it is the Chinese hibachi then? Can you find a picture?

reply to post by Kandinsky

I think the object could be custom-made for the hoax.

Me, too. I can actually imagine an adult giving it to them. There seems to be absolutely no precedent for this darned thing.

It may very well have been assembled from multiple items, most of which we have probably identified, and then given several coats of silver spray paint. Best guess I have. It really does look like Mc Coy pottery meets the Jetsons.

The girls from the famous Cottingley Fairies story held their tongues for 60 years.

Thanks for adding this. I really do dig this stuff and I think we have an Atomic Age version of this in the Kera Tale

Of course, there's always an element of uncertainty in crying 'hoax' at old cases. Maybe it happened as described?

One could only hope. That seems to be the only alternative to the whole thing being a hoax that included a custom, workshop produced, tiny UFO.

You think very eloquently and with a hammer; thanks, Kandinsky.




Kandinsky, the video you linked to, the Fuhr case, is probably my favorite single UFO case. And the episode of the show it comes from is probably my single favorite UFO thing on the tube ever; and I'm picky. Thanks again.

Originally posted by Kandinsky
The object reminds me very much of the Edwin Fuhr reporting of 1974. These things were apparently much bigger although similar in shape

Oh Kandinsky that does sound similar, except for the malfunction.
Maybe there was more of them in the rice field and it was just one that went all hey wire.

reply to post by Frater210
Not to go too off-topic, the Edwin Fuhr case caught my imagination because of the detail of the object being dirty and muddy on the base. Not many are described this way and they add more plausibility imo. This one comes from 1949 and has the same old, dirty appearance...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a000e9a2038d.jpg[/atsimg]
Project Blue Book Status Report 14 p86

@Whateva69 It would be great to have been there and seen something like this with our own eyes.

Originally posted by imawlinn
Seriously, to me that last symbol looks like a person picking up something. Also reminds me of an Indian dressed as a big eagle dancing around at a traditional ceremony. Anyone else see this?

I tried looking at it the way you described, but I’m just not seeing it, sorry
I’m pretty bad at seeing things in pictures though,

Originally posted by Kandinsky

@Whateva69 It would be great to have been there and seen something like this with our own eyes.

You never know your luck Kandinsy there’s still a possibility .

reply to post by Kandinsky

the Edwin Fuhr case caught my imagination because of the detail of the object being dirty and muddy on the base.

Details like this are priceless and that is what intrigued me the most about the Fuhr case.

So the general consensus seems to be that this is a fake. I tend to concur; but I hate the way these things leave that little nagging doubt...

reply to post by Htrowklis82
I agree with what you said about possible size variations of different alien species. If there was a little guy inside the u.f.o., I don't imagine he/she felt very good about travelling who knows how many light years to Earth, only to find itself being poked in the arse by some Earth kid, brandishing a piece of wire!

If I had to go with the theory that it is a man made object, I would have to go with rice cooker.
Maybe even home made....hence the lack of reproducible evidence of the object.
Perhaps the symbols are instructions...The grain represents rice, add water...and perhaps that symbol I can't really recognize is flames. Put this pot of rice and water over flames.
Could explain why it was in a rice paddy.
Then the rest of the story was just the fantasy of bored school children.
That is if you want a logical terrestrial reason for it, tho I have not disregarded that it is not a hoax and could be extraterrestrial.

reply to post by Frater210

So you think it is the Chinese hibachi then? Can you find a picture?

No, I did not say it was that. I only said that they have these charcoal cylinders and one of those would probably fit nicely in that thing. I have looked at pages and pages of google images and, as far as I can see, the Chinese do not have anything similar. I have not seen anything like this in the markets where they have all kinds of bits and bobs and where they make and sell fake old stuff.

reply to post by Frater210


Fantastic! I love this story, I'm normally very skeptical of UFO stories but this one sounds very authentic. It's all quite plausible as far as how the kids behaved when they encountered it, I could see myself doing the same as a kid- running away, returning, running away again, eventually trying to take it, returning to the field to see if it's back, finally bringing a camera to get pictures. Often these stories defy human behavior, but this one makes sense. If it's a hoax it's extremely well thought out. The engravings on the bottom of the object are particularly interesting, because in the 70's the technology for engraving wasn't anything like it is now. It would have taken serious effort, and it would have been beyond the tools and abilities of a few kids. Also the engravings are absent from all flying saucers in photos and Hollywood films of the era, so if they were hoaxing a flying saucer it's unlikely they would think to add such a detail. It actually looks like a modern toy of some sort, like a saucer-shaped radio or something. It would be easy to dismiss it as such if it were a recent report, but I grew up as a kid in the 60's & 70's and it looks nothing like the toys we had back then. The fact that the boys were able to hold it at times after which it would eventually disappear gives me the impression that it (or someone controlling it) WANTED it to be captured. Perhaps it was analyzing skin samples and such while they held it.

Fascinating, thanks for sharing!

It is a very strange looking object , and I would like to know what it is made of. It looks like aluminium , or a silver alloy. Also , the stories surrounding it are just bizarre .
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