The mysterious story of Utsuro-bune & ufo which occurred in 1803
The story of “Utsuro bune” which occurred in 1803, remains one of the most mysterious tales in Japanese history.
It tells of a strange encounter with a hollow ship-like flying object, which contained a strange woman with pale skin and red hair. According to the stories recorded in three major manuscripts: Ton Shosetsu (1825), Hiyori Kishu (1835), and Umi no Chiri (1844), the woman spoke a language unknown to local fishermen and carried a mysterious box.
At first, some thought the story was an adaptation of a Russian whaling shipwreck, but official documents did not record any such shipwrecks from that period. Professor Kazuo Tanka of the University of Tokyo was among those interested in researching the tale, having begun his study after reading American UFO stories and Japanese mythology. Tanka found similarities between the description of the ship and the UFO legend that was popular in ancient texts from the Edo period.
Tanka initially thought the story might be related to a Russian shipwreck, but after he began examining official documents and searching through archives, he found no evidence to support this hypothesis. Instead, he discovered that there were 11 historical documents telling the story of the “Utsuru-Buni” from the Hitachi area, including the two main documents, Mitto Bunso and Banki Bunso. By studying Mitto Bunso, Tanka discovered a drawing of a woman resembling the one described in the story of the “Utsuru-Buni,” and she was dressed similarly to the Buddhist statue at the Shōfukuji Temple in Kamisu. The document attributed to this woman a legend about the “Golden Princess” (Konjiki), who was said to have come from India in a cocoon-shaped boat across the sea to Japan. After the locals helped her regain her health, she taught them how to raise silkworms. On the other hand, the Banki Bunso document indicates the exact location of the ship’s arrival, stating that it was on the shore of Hitatehara Shirahama, which is now known as Hasaki Shirahama in Kamisu City.
This document, which was based on an old map by the famous geographer Ino Tadataka, provides further evidence of this event taking place in that area.
In addition, some sources indicate that a huge rock known as “Masuda-no-Iwafun” in Asuka Park in Japan closely resembles the description of the hollow ship. This rock, which was carved from a single piece of granite, is 36 feet long, 26 feet wide, and 15 feet high. It also has two three-foot square holes, reinforcing the idea that the “Utsuro-Buni” may have been associated with an unknown phenomenon or even a strange ship at the time.
The story of the “Utsuro-Buni” continues to arouse curiosity and wonder, with many wondering about the truth of this mysterious tale. Is it just an ancient legend or does it represent a real event that remains unknown to this day?