Two elementary school boys reported encountering a landed disc-shaped object and a small humanoid being in a vineyard near Kōfu, Japan.
The Kofu UFO Incident is a 1975 case in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, widely regarded as one of Japan's most credible alien encounter reports. On February 23, 1975, two seven-year-old boys, Masato Kono and Katsuhiro Yamahata, witnessed a silver, disc-shaped craft land in a local vineyard.
Key Details of the Incident:
The Encounter: The boys approached the landed craft and encountered two fanged humanoids. One entity, described as wrinkled and chocolate-colored with large ears and three-inch metal fangs, tapped one boy on the shoulder, temporarily paralyzing him with fear.
Physical Evidence: Investigators later found crushed concrete posts and circular ring patterns at the landing site. Soil samples revealed abnormally high levels of radiation, which researchers from the Japan Space Phenomena Association concluded could not be attributed to natural causes or human intervention.
Witness Corroboration: Multiple adult witnesses, including the boys' parents and neighbors, reported seeing orange glowing lights and a large object hovering over the vineyard before it departed.
Official Response: Authorities dismissed the sightings as the lights of a propeller plane, a explanation critics argue fails to account for the physical evidence and the specific descriptions of the humanoids.
The incident is classified as a Close Encounter of the Third Kind (CE-III) and remains a significant case in ufology, with the city of Kofu recently commemorating its 50th anniversary by promoting itself as a "UFO City."
| Date: | 1975-02-23 |
| Location: | Kōfu, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Country: | Japan |
| Category: | Close Encounter |
| Credibility: | Moderate / Well Documented |