With the U.S. Defense Department's release of military video footage of what are purported to be UFOs, encounters with extraterrestrials suddenly don't seem to be just science fiction anymore.

Even Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono acknowledged recently that protocols will be established just in case.

 “We would like to decide what to do in the event we encounter a UFO," he said.

More than 50 years ago, Japan was regarded as a model for dealing with extraterrestrials. 

The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) made recommendations if humans were to encounter aliens from space.

It has disclosed a 1968 paper that says the "Japanese way" was a good example of “assimilating other technologies and maintaining their identity even if their technology was inferior to the other ones.”

It adds, “People should learn from Japan whose manner is to be friendly and tries to eagerly learn everything from other cultures and cooperate with each other as one country.”

A science journalist and professor who is involved with a space science museum in Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture, said "Japanese flexibility has attracted a lot of attention."

Josen Takano cited Japan's period of national isolation from the 17th century through the 19th century when it continued to absorb knowledge about subjects such as medicine and foreign languages at Dejima, a small island in Nagasaki Port, used as a trading post with other countries.

"Another example is that Japan grew its economy at a remarkable speed starting from the turmoil following World War II,” said Takano, who has been involved with the space science museum “Cosmo Isle Hakui.”  The museum name means “Space Dejima.”

Takano draws parallels between UFOs and the novel coronavirus, which is similarly unknown.

UFO FOOTAGE IN U.S., BRITAIN

In April, the U.S. Defense Department declassified the videos shot by U.S. Navy pilots. 

The three black-and-white videos, which range from 30 seconds to a minute and 15 seconds in length, were shot in 2004 and 2015. 

In the footage, mysterious objects fly over the sea at a high speed or rotate in the air.  The videos were leaked to the public a few years ago and caused a row over their authenticity. But the objects were not identified.

In Britain, reports of UFO sightings given to the UFO research department of the Defense Ministry were made available in the national archives. For example, “My dog was kidnapped while I was camping with my friends” and “Two orange-colored balls were floating in the air in my backyard.”

In one case, there was footage filmed by a soldier with a mobile phone, showing 13 objects floating in the air above a building. Later, they were determined to be Chinese lanterns at a wedding ceremony held in the neighborhood.

The research department, which had been operating for more than 50 years, was closed in 2009 because “no UFO sighting has shown any kind of military threat to Britain at all.”

LONGING FOR UNKNOWN EXISTENCE

The Japanese public has not been immune to UFO sightings over the years. 

In 1956, reports of silver metallic strips, like pieces of paper, were seen falling from the sky in Choshi, Chiba Prefecture.

In Fukushima, many people reported seeing a UFO near Mount Senganmori, which has a conic shape and a height of 462 meters. The sightings have also earned the site fame as a “UFO town.” 

Takayama city in Gifu Prefecture and Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine are also well-known among UFO aficionados.

Bintaro Yamaguchi, a researcher of supernatural phenomena and a YouTube star, continues to receive daily eyewitness reports of UFO sightings.

“Ninety percent of UFO sightings are believed to be military airplanes made by other countries and only 10 percent are truly unidentified, which enthralls UFO buffs,” he said.

Yamaguchi said the public is fascinated by UFOs because “people want to be unidentified objects themselves.”

“People can use their mobile phones everywhere, and in some cases their personal information, such as past pictures and information on family relationships, can be disseminated on the internet,” he said. “Maybe people are tired of belonging to such a society, so they might hope to become mysterious beings themselves.”  

He added, “I can hear their voices beneath the surface saying that they are envious of UFOs.”