Masato Kono

The 1975 Kōfu UFO Incident is a widely cited Close Encounter of the Third Kind in Kōfu City, Japan, involving seven-year-old Masato Kono and his cousin Katsuhiro Yamahata. On the evening of February 23, 1975, the boys witnessed a smaller orange UFO detach from a larger light and land in a nearby vineyard, emitting a crackling, ticking sound.

Upon inspecting the craft, which was a domed silver disc resting on three ball-shaped legs, the boys observed a hatch open and a ladder extend to the ground. A "fanged humanoid" alien, approximately four feet tall with a wrinkled face and silver fangs, disembarked while a second, smaller humanoid remained inside the cockpit. The creature approached Katsuhiro Yamahata, tapped him on the shoulder twice, and spoke in a backward-sounding voice, causing Yamahata to collapse in terror; Kawano then carried his paralyzed friend away from the scene.

The incident is considered one of Japan's most credible UFO cases due to several corroborating factors:

Physical Evidence: Investigators found concrete posts pushed over at the landing site, which the boys stated were too heavy to move, as well as radiation traces and structural damage in the vineyard.

Multiple Witnesses: In addition to the boys, their mothers witnessed an orange pulsating light in the vineyard, and a classmate, Ichiro Minegishi, reported seeing a shiny object in the sky half an hour prior.

Official Interest: The boys' schoolteacher and local authorities investigated the site, and the event received significant media coverage, distinguishing it from simple misidentifications like aircraft lights.