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

Hello, ATS.

Because the Kera, Japan, UFO flap was revisited by Shinichiro Namiki, the director of the Japan Space Phenomena Society (JSPS) in 2007, this story of High Strangeness made a brief appearance on the web in 2009.

There was an ATS thread dedicated to the revitalized story which I will link us to along with the story that was circulated on the web in 2009. I know that to some of us the story of the Kera UFO incident is going to be new and for many others it will be old hat. Here is the nutshell, post-2007 version of the story. I apologize for not being able to scare up the original article but it is no where to be found. My ATS kung fu is not quite there yet.

Japan has had its fair share of UFO sightings over the years, but few encounters have been as peculiar as the one involving the mini-UFO captured in Kochi prefecture in 1972.

The strange encounter took place in the Kera area of Kochi City. On the afternoon of August 25, 1972, a 13-year-old junior high student named Michio Seo sighted a strange object flying above a rice field while walking home from school. From a distance he watched the small, mysterious object zigzag quickly around the field like a bat chasing insects.

Later that day, Michio told his friends about the curious flying object. "UFO" had yet to become a household word in Japan in 1972, but the boys were intrigued nonetheless. At around 7:00 PM, four of them set out for the rice field in search of the object.

About an hour later, they spotted the object flying over the rice field, lighting up the night with a pulsating silver light. When one of the boys tried to approach to object, it suddenly made a loud "pop" sound and started to glow blue. Frightened, they turned and fled without looking back.

Over a week later, at 9:30 PM on September 4, several of the boys once again saw the bright object in the rice field. And two days after that, on September 6, the boys and a few of their friends found the object on the ground in the field. It appeared to have crash-landed.

One of boys -- a 14-year-old named Hiroshi Mori (14) -- picked the object up with his hands and carried it home.

The silver, hat-shaped object weighed 1.3 kilograms (3 lbs) and measured roughly 7 centimeters (3 in) tall and 15 centimeters (6 in) in diameter. The bottom surface was perforated with an array of tiny holes and imprinted with designs depicting what appeared to be a bird, some waves, and another flying object. Something rattled around inside the object when shaken.

That night, Hiroshi wrapped the curious object in a plastic bag and placed it inside his backpack. Later, however, the object mysteriously vanished without a trace.

Before long, the boys encountered the object again. They once again captured it, but it soon vanished. This happened about five or six times over the next two weeks.

On one occasion, the boys decided to pour water into the holes on the bottom. The object emitted a loud cicada-like buzzing sound and glowed brightly inside. Later, when they ran some wire through the holes and dangled the object upside-down, the top and bottom sections of the object became slightly separated. Through the opening, they could see what appeared to be electronic components.

On the night of September 22, Hiroshi was riding his bicycle with the object in the basket when it suddenly disappeared. They never saw it again.

But it is not so much the story itself that is nagging at me so much as something that I read in Rob Morphy’s treatment of the story at MysteriousUniverse.Org. I would like everyone to go and read Morphy’s wonderful retelling of the tale; he has a gift for the keyboard and writing. Here is what he has to say at the end of his article.

In 2007, 35 years after the incident, the Japan Space Phenomena Society (JSPS) conducted a new investigation into the case. According to Kazuo Hayashi, head of the JSPS Osaka chapter, all of the witnesses still stand by their original story.

The mini-UFO of 1972 was not the last that would be encountered in Kochi prefecture. Nearly four years later, on the night of June 6, 1976, a 9-year-old girl named Sachiko Oyama in the village of Agawa (now called Niyodogawa-cho) stepped outside to look for her family cat. She noticed a bright yellow luminous object in the eastern sky.

When she went to the street for a better view, the object suddenly descended into the surrounding woods, struck a nearby tree, and landed at her feet. It made no sound when it hit the pavement.

The silver, hat-shaped object appeared to be about 15 centimeters (7 in) in diameter. Curious, Sachiko touched it with her index finger. The object was constructed of solid material, but it was covered in a slimy substance that stuck to her finger.

She suddenly felt afraid started to run home. Over her shoulder, she saw the object start to glow yellow, spin counter-clockwise three times, and shoot quickly back into the sky.

What could explain these mysterious mini-UFO sightings? Perhaps there is a rational explanation -- or maybe they were hoaxes. It's also possible the encounters were the products of overactive imaginations. Or perhaps, as suggested by JSPS head Kazuo Hayashi, these flying objects temporarily lost their way after slipping into our realm from another dimension.

Source: Namiki, Shin-ichiro. Nippon No Kaiki Hyaku. Magazineland, 2007.

pinktentacle.com...

But it is not so much the story itself that is nagging at me so much as something that I read in Rob Morphy’s treatment of the story at MysteriousUniverse.Org. I would like everyone to go and read Morphy’s wonderful retelling of the tale; he has a gift for the keyboard and writing. Here is what he has to say at the end of his article.

“Of course, there’s one, obvious explanation — that it was all just a hoax. There are some rumors that have circulated suggesting that the Kera UFO was actually a toilet training chamber pot craftily installed with radio components and pieces from a watering can…”

mysteriousuniverse.org...

Well, ATS here are the pictures of the thing that I am able to find on the web.





In the ‘Primary’ photo, the one that is shown the most, it is obvious to me that the image is presented upside down. I know that the idea is to suggest to the viewer what it might have looked like in flight but the photo is immediately misleading.

So I turned it right side up. And that is when I started to really wonder what the hell it is.



So I went all over the web in search of Japanese ‘toilet training’ chamber pots; I didn't find any. This is pretty much what I found out there...





I am sure that the design remained relatively the same until their (the Japanese) chamber pots just started looking like European chamber pots. If the Kera object is a chamber pot it is a very fancy 'space aged' chamber pot. I would believe that Japan would make such a thing but I can find no example of it.

No go there. So I looked at it some more and it finally dawned on me; an incense pot! It looked just like an incense pot! So once again; all over the web looking at incense pots from all over the world...

Nada. These are some of the photos.



Closest thing I could find...





I know my images are of antiques but I am looking for design precedent and I am also finding no modern examples that are even close. The older stuff comes closest and the modern stuff just deviates even further from these simple designs.

I started to pursue the watering can thing and it became apparent very quickly that there is no hope there either.

So what is this thing ATS? This object that was photographed as the very object involved in the Kera UFO case?

If it is a composite construction then why are its component parts obviously of the same material and texture?

What could it have been? Will we have to take their word for it; that it was flying around zapping people, blinding folks with flashes of light and mysteriously disappearing?

I thought that it might be fun to drag this out on ATS; maybe some member or two or three will figure it out and we can finally bury the Kera, Japan, UFO incident as a hoax. Or maybe not.

Crazy Thinking:

In the article written by Morphy, he puts the abilities of this little ‘craft’ in to a digested form and I would like to quote him here.

“Firstly, assuming that the reports are authentic, this device flew with apparent precision even though there was apparently no recognizable propulsion device within the UFO.

Secondly, the UFO appeared to be capable of evasive maneuvers and even displayed a desire to defend itself by utilizing brilliant lights and loud noises.

Thirdly, like any living being, this “machine” resisted every attempt made to incarcerate it by the teens. None of the above is proof that the thing’s actions were an example of intelligent life, but the thought is intriguing.”

mysteriousuniverse.org...

What was this thing, ATS, if it was not a hoax?

Was it a probe of some kind that lay dormant and had somehow been activated; or maybe some kind of automaton born of an ancient and forgotten science; sort of like a little metal homunculus?

Or another possibility that crossed my mind is that it may have been crafted specifically for the hoax (if that is what it is) from homogenous materials (the silver on the thing may be spray paint, which was invented in 1949).

Or maybe it was from outer space. I don’t know. I can’t figure it out.

Addendum:

I want to add some more photos that Rob Morphy has apparently made available but I cannot really post them without adding the text so here goes...

Seo, Mori, Fujimoto, Kojima and Yuji would occasionally visit the field following their sighting and on September 4th — Just over a week after their initial run-in — their patience paid off. At about 9:30 pm. the five young men once again came face to face with the silvery object flying nearly 3-feet above the field.

The little UFO started glowing and began to zoom toward the boys causing them to scatter and once again retreat with haste. Once home, the boys reclaimed their courage and vowed to procure a camera and spend every waking moment they could staking out the field in hopes of finally capturing the unusual object on film. Their surveillance began the next evening, but the object did not return.

The following night, however, would be a different story. On September 6th the boys’ vigilance paid off when on their way to the rice paddy they spied the object lying on the ground in the middle of the field before them. The teenagers, now armed with a camera, sagely decided to snap a photo before they approached the downed “craft.”



Once the flashbulb went off the object on the ground began spinning and rapidly rose into the air. The unknown cameraman shot another photo just after its ascension.



This is where accounts get a little murky, but what seems to have happened next is that the object emitted a light that was even brighter than the flashbulb’s burst, before once again plummeting to the ground.

The still spinning object almost seemed to be burrowing into the dirt when it stopped moving.

At this point 14 year-old Hiroshi Mori cautiously moved toward the incapacitated flying saucer. The brave (or foolhardy) boy decided to bend over and lift the object up with his bare hands.

As he did so he claimed that he felt something “moving” inside. A photo of Miro holding the UFO was then taken.



mysteriousuniverse.org...

I hope you will visit Rob Morphy's article to read his incredibly entertaining treatment of this story.

So there we are, ATS. I betcha we can put this one to rest. There is possibly a member or so who might be able to I.D. this object right away. And if it is not a hoax; what are we to think of it?

Original ATS thread from 2009: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I guess now we know where Mick Garris and Spielberg came up with the idea for "Batteries Not Included*"

It makes me think about the tiny alien inside the old cat man in the movie men in black!
Who is to say all extra terrestrials must fit the dimensions we deem probable!

Do you think it’s possible it could be one of the orbs that people witness over fields where crop circles are discovered?



mute the last vid, the sound is annoying

reply to post by Xtraeme


Yeah, you nailed it. Here is what Morphy had to say about it in this article...

"There has even been the wild speculation that the device might have been a conscious being akin to those cutesy sentient saucers in the Steven Spielberg produced 1987 opus “*Batteries Not Included.”

While even I am skeptical about this premise, let’s look at the “evidence” that may possibly support this conjecture. Firstly, assuming that the reports are authentic, this device flew with apparent precision even though there was apparently no recognizable propulsion device within the UFO. Secondly, the UFO appeared to be capable of evasive maneuvers and even displayed a desire to defend itself by utilizing brilliant lights and loud noises. Thirdly, like any living being, this “machine” resisted every attempt made to incarcerate it by the teens.

None of the above is proof that the thing’s actions were an example of intelligent life, but the thought is intriguing. Perhaps we’re dealing with a non-terrestrial surveillance device here. Some unknown technology sent from another world or time or dimension or even the ocean’s depths to observe the human race. Who’s to say that the unusual markings on the base of the UFO are not intended to be a message for humanity much like the one we etched into the gold plated disc on Voyager 1 for other citizens of the galaxy to discover.

mysteriousuniverse.org...

What do you think it may be?

reply to post by Whateva69


This is a fabulous idea! They did always find it in that rice paddy field...Perhaps these devices are encoded with the pattern/design and then sent off to do the engraving if you will.
The idea reminds me of a laser engraver hooked to a computer to design and then engrave out fabulous designs!

reply to post by Htrowklis82

Who is to say all extra terrestrials must fit the dimensions we deem probable!

So true. Please check out my previous thread on Malaysian Mini-Aliens if you want some more aliens in miniature.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

When I read these reports I can't help but think of the 'wee folk' that are reported in anecdotes and folklore from around the world.

reply to post by Whateva69

Do you think it’s possible it could be one of the orbs that people witness over fields where crop circles are discovered?

This is a great idea, especially when you consider the imprint of the grain-like plant on the bottom of the thing.

Thanks for the input.

reply to post by Htrowklis82

I just had a thought to add....
If it was programmed to mark a certain field but then had some sort of malfunction that disabled it to some degree...It could explain why when it was taken by the boys, it always seemed to return to that field.

reply to post by Htrowklis82

Yeah the water image on the device made me think of crop circles, I know I read somewhere that crop circles have something to do with water, and being a rice field, I was like I wonder? I’m still trying to find out what the other marking means.

reply to post by Whateva69


Not only a water marking but there is also a mark of what looks like a planted grain like image as well!
It is really a shame the thing got away from the boys!

Originally posted by Frater210

This is a great idea, especially when you consider the imprint of the grain-like plant on the bottom of the thing.

Thanks for the input.

OMG thats grain? lol im so asking the wrong questions and looking for the wrong info, i was like searching birds and flying insects lol

reply to post by Htrowklis82


lol yeah im a doofus *bonks own noggin

reply to post by Whateva69


At least that is how I interpret it...I see a stalk of grain, waves, and something I can't Identify...maybe a bird or something?

reply to post by Whateva69


Not a doofus! The original report said it appeared to be waves, a bird, and another flying object but I just don't see those images that way.

Originally posted by Frater210
What do you think it may be?

Being completely honest? The ornate pattern suggests it has some form of decorative function. So if I had to guess based on appearances alone. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a salt or pepper shaker. It would also explain the openings. However, being more open-minded, I'd be willing to avoid jumping to conclusions assuming the original gang was willing to undergo a polygraph test. Outside of that though I'd probably err towards the mundane.

It looks like, to me, the insides of a cheap talking/vibrating toy. The center square with holes in it are generally how cheap speakers in plastic are covered. The things etched into it would then be whatever they wanted to scratch into cheap plastic.

reply to post by Xtraeme


Thanks.

The finish reminds me of McCoy Arts and Crafts pottery from the 20s and 30s.

at the moment im tyring to find a connection with the marking that looks like a house or tree, im searchin this site here and this site here i dont know how acurate the sites are, but its worth a shot i guess.

reply to post by Whateva69


That was a cool site but I did not see anything that really matched up. I've gone ahead and cropped and blown up a photo of the bottom of the object...




This looks like it was a Japanese manga comic which portrayed the story. The artist has made renderings but I don't think they match up precisely; or the person had better pictures...



I can't seem to find any handy resources for Japanese iconography; all I have at hand is chinese but I will check it out now. Didn't think to do that.

Thanks.