In 1997 I was in Japan as an Exchange student with an organization called YFU (Youth For Understanding). We were about a hundred students from all over the world who came to experience living in Japan for a whole year in host families. We got together all of us to know each other the first week, and after that some of us kept in touch with each other during the year. I lived in Tsukuba, which is not to far from Tokyo in Ibaragi Province.

In the middle of the year, for some reason, I can't remember why, a bunch of us decided to get together and share some ideas and feelings with each other. We all had very different ones and we had been isolated from each other during the whole period. We went to Tokyo, about 15 of us. After chatting for a long time the evening came by and some decided to go home. We were all young as we all came there to attend high school, so a few of us decided to hang around for a while and go to this place I now can't remember the name of... I think it started with Chi or Shi anyway, short name, not in the center of Tokyo but a little outside, and close to some water. There was some kind of "beach" there, and 6 of us went down to have a chat by the beach and enjoy the beautiful evening together. 3 girls and 3 guys. As we sat there and rubbed each other talking trash and all the things we had been through, suddenly we saw some really weird thing flying in the sky over the water. It was high up, really big and not of any form I have ever seen before. Not very clear though, It was somewhat transparent or foggy. We hadn't been drinking any of us except for a few beers, so we were all clear in our head and we were all positive that this was nothing any of us had seen before.

After a few minutes the thing disappeared. We spent another hour or so looking and talking to each other about this phenomenon until it got too late and we all had to go home.

After this we all split, went back to our host families and never talked about this anymore. We lost contact all of us as we went back to our countries and the memory faded of the incident. It struck me now as I saw this forum about UFO's at ATS that I could share this little even with some people. I don't know what to think about it myself, but it's the only time in my life that I've had the feeling there was an UFO in my presence. I am absolutely sure those 5 others who were with me still remember this event. One of the guys called "sniper", a friend of mine who were with us back there and saw the UFO, is now in the American Special Ops doing some dangerous stuff agains terrorists in Iraq btw. I wish he is till ok. It's a weird world we live in.

Originally posted by chinalurker
In the middle of the year, for some reason, I can't remember why, a bunch of us decided to get together...

This is a strange statement for somebody who saw a UFO. Wouldn't that be a day you'd remember for years to come? Wouldn't the reason you'd have all been together important enough to remember being that it was connected to such an important event in your life?

Sounds like you had an interesting encounter though. Thanks for sharing. Pz.

It was a meeting arranged by YFU to get together in the middle of the year for all those who lived close to Tokyo, I remember now

Although since there was no emphasis on YFU during the meeting, just old friends getting together, I guess it got lost temporary from my memory~

It was a nice eve though. and the UFO thingy sure didn't make it any worse