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

reply to post by SavedOne
The story is certainly out there and intriguing, The technology to engrave metals was also out there in the form of our old friend...Dremel 1970. To my eye, the images on the base look like hills in the way kids draw them and the object above looks like a depiction of a crashing craft.

The Jury is out and I guess we can't be certain what the heck really happened back then. *If* it was a hoax, hopefully one of them will do the decent thing and tell us one day.

I mentioned the Cottingley Fairies earlier, there was another guy who hoaxed a photograph of the Loch Ness Monster and, decades later, explained how he'd used a tiny model. Hoaxes are okay although I think a good hoaxer should lay it to rest at some point and take credit for skilfully fooling folk.

Originally posted by Frater210

“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.”

Matsuo Fujimoto. The boy Miro's father.

mysteriousuniverse.org...

Not only was this man the boy's father, but check this out:

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

Link

So he wasn't just some random citizen. Strange that he didn't take more interest in the object, it sounds like he just assumed that they found an old radio or something.

This reminds me of when I was about 13 and found an unusual object next to our driveway one day. It was silver metal (looked like aluminum) and shaped like a short, fat rocket, nicely built and quite small (about 10" long). I did what any kid would do, picked it up and put it on a shelf in my room, LOL! It had some kind of remnants of a propellant engine similar to an Estes rocket motor, so I just assumed it was a homemade rocket (probably was). I never really considered it might be ET in origin, and it sounds like these boys didn't think that either, it was just a really strange object that they were trying to figure out.

There's another picture of it here that I didn't see in this thread:

mysteriousuniverse.org...

Originally posted by Kandinsky
The technology to engrave metals was also out there in the form of our old friend...Dremel 1970. To my eye, the images on the base look like hills in the way kids draw them and the object above looks like a depiction of a crashing craft.

I could buy that the hills/ waves/ clouds could have been carved with a Dremel and a carving bit, but not the "bird". The bird could not be carved as a flat recess like that. It had to have been cast rather than carved. It's really unlikely that kids would have gone to that kind of effort (casting parts) themselves although I could buy that it was a found object that was combined with something else to make this little spaceship. But, the story has been around long enough that someone, somewhere would have recognized it if it were a found object.

Regarding the Cottingley Fairies, that just didn't sound legit from the word "go". Neither did the Loch Ness monster photo. In those cases the details just sounded extremely suspicious. Not so with this story, I don't dismiss the possibility that it may be a hoax (I am a skeptic after all) but they really covered their bases if it is.

reply to post by SavedOne
Can you point me in the direction of the bird image? Or post an it?

I'm mostly convinced it was a hoax and think there was an adult coordinating it.

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

Mr Mutuo might just be the protagonist. Chances are he thought all the talk of UFOs was silly and sought to highlight the gullibility of the general public. Japan has a rich vein of hoaxery in cryptozoology that may just extend into UFOs.

I say 'mostly' because I remain curious and haven't ruled the account out yet.

reply to post by qmantoo


Thank you so much, Qmantoo (loving the screen name) for putting the effort in and looking for photos.

We'll get to the bottom of it. We were pretty much there last time I checked (gotta catch up real quick) and I figure we've got a millimeter or two to go.

Hi folks, thanks for sticking with it. I would like to offer that, although the icon on the right seems to be engraved the other 2 icons seem to me to be in relief and not engraved in to the metal...








Could just be my eyes though.

reply to post by Kandinsky

I'm mostly convinced it was a hoax and think there was an adult coordinating it.

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

Hey, Kandinsky, I am 'mostly' right there with you. My mind keeps going back to Mr. Fujimoto. I know he says he regrets not having looked more closely but considering his profession you might think it would be a matter of habit for him to be more detail oriented.




maybe there is some kind of heart break tale of a boy trying to impress his father here?

Thanks for digging in.

I tend to vacillate, but right at the moment it really is looking like a more-deco-than-usual Japanese travel hibachi that has been re-purposed using what is likely a bit from some Ikebana flower arranging accessory and a can of silver spray paint.

Originally posted by Frater210
Hi folks, thanks for sticking with it. I would like to offer that, although the icon on the right seems to be engraved the other 2 icons seem to me to be in relief and not engraved in to the metal...

Hmmm, yes that could be. If we knew which direction the light was coming from we could determine that, but it's hard to tell.

Looking at this picture again, a few people mentioned that their knee-jerk reaction was that this had some kind of connection to the ark story. Not sure how many know this, but while Noah was inside the ark he would send a dove out to see if the water had abated yet. It kept returning empty-handed (or empty-beaked I guess ) until finally it returned with an olive leaf. So the pictures could represent a flood, a dove flying in search of land, and the dove finally returning with an olive leaf. I'm not saying that's what it is, but it's food for thought.

By the way, I can identify with those who have said that this object looks familiar, I feel the same way. It's a wierd sensation, like I know what this is, but can't say "why" I know (and I NEVER say stuff like this). Maybe it's because it looks so utterly ordinary, not at all like something ET. Very odd.

Originally posted by Frater210
I tend to vacillate, but right at the moment it really is looking like a more-deco-than-usual Japanese travel hibachi that has been re-purposed using what is likely a bit from some Ikebana flower arranging accessory and a can of silver spray paint.

But it was reported to be 6" across and 3" tall, have you ever seen any kind of hibachi that tiny? The size seems to be verified when you look at the photo of the boy holding it. I was surprised at the chamber pot theory mentioned in the article, that would be a mighty small chamber pot, someone better have good aim and a small bladder

reply to post by SavedOne


Hi, SavedOne. Me too.

I actually did find a miniature 'travel' hibachi from Japan; The post is at the top of page 3.

Thanks for your tenacity.

The travel hibachi pictured at the top of page three is, 5 inches high and 4 1/4 inches wide.



www.etsy.com...

reply to post by Frater210


The Japanese eat such small portion...at least they used too, and hopefully the invasion of Mcdonalds didn't ruin that!

reply to post by Htrowklis82


I love teryaki, but that looks nasty. I was surprised to see the tiny little elfin barbecues as well. I was thinking that the wide rim on the Kera barbecue would be perfect for accommodating skewers.



Ed. Or the rim just provided a more decorative undercarriage for the actual grilling portion which may have set on top somehow.

Hey, folks.

I pulled out this detail from the Manga comic cited by Morphy. I thought maybe you'd like to see it. The artist's rendition looks very different...



Compared to...

Where is the object now?

I am hoping someone will reply as being new I seem to be incommunicado here which in a site of this type has become expected on my part.

No one believes you are new and real because of so much shenanigans that go on

I had another thought regarding what the object might be

Perhaps an incense censer

In this case for me I would not use any of the story to influence what the object may be as it could be a hoax and using ANY of the story can throw off perspective.

reply to post by smallcheese

Where is the object now?

I have no idea, my friend; story has it, it disappeared never to be seen again.

I am hoping someone will reply as being new I seem to be incommunicado here which in a site of this type has become expected on my part.

Yeah, it can get lonely around here sometimes; it's hard to tell if lots and lots of people are seeing your posts, or hardly any at all; don't worry, you'll make friends. Maybe.

No one believes you are new and real because of so much shenanigans that go on

Well, then don't be a shenanigan, like me, and you won't have any problems.

reply to post by smallcheese

I had another thought regarding what the object might be

Do tell.

Perhaps an incense censer

One thing you can do to increase your friendliness would be to read the thread all the way through, it sucks sometimes but it is a tradition here at ATS; when in Rome , as they say. I agree with you. This is stated in the OP

In this case for me I would not use any of the story to influence what the object may be as it could be a hoax and using ANY of the story can throw off perspective.

Hurh?? The story is integral to the object. Unless you know otherwise? Enlighten me.

Thanks for coming by.

reply to post by Htrowklis82


Hey, Htrowklis82.

I wanted to share here on the thread the awful manifestation of Teriyaki, lettuce and bun that you linked me to so shamelessly.
I don't even think Gojira would want one of these...





Oh, and cheese.

Originally posted by Frater210
reply to post by smallcheese

 

I had another thought regarding what the object might be

Do tell.

Perhaps an incense censer

One thing you can do to increase your friendliness would be to read the thread all the way through, it sucks sometimes but it is a tradition here at ATS; when in Rome , as they say. I agree with you. This is stated in the OP

In this case for me I would not use any of the story to influence what the object may be as it could be a hoax and using ANY of the story can throw off perspective.

Hurh?? The story is integral to the object. Unless you know otherwise? Enlighten me.

Thanks for coming by.

I may be wrong but I seem to have struck a nerve

I was of the impression that I had read the entire thread and more than once I had not until now read the site article to which you pulled your quoted material.

That was where I saw the answer to my question as to the whereabouts of the object because in this thread the information was not presented.

I guess here it is customary to also read all the linked material as well and I was not aware of such a custom.

I do not see mention of an incense burner mentioned before which why I suggested the possibility ?

Perhaps we investigate things in a different way but for me I try to take one path at a time and attempt to not mix paths.

I thought I understood that you wished to see if the object alone could be investigated with the idea that it may be of regular earth manufacture which is what I was attempting to do and in doing so I disregard any influence of any of the witness testimony and personally do not see how it can be assumed from the pictures that the item is hard to open

To the contrary I see casting bosses on the inner "bell" body to the rim that match up with the 4 marks on.the plate like face which leads me to think that there is some kind of latch system that holds the two pieces together.

In later posts you seem to shift gears into what could it be if it is not of earth origin so I apologize for that tends to get things muddled for me

I also see something that does not make logical sense in the photos all of them being black and white except one which another poster linked back to the thread.

I will not add further to the discussion if my input is not wished but I thought it was an open discussion

I did not mean to offend anyone and sometimes my mind muddle can make me appear stupid but I like to think that I'm not stupid all the time