Utsuro Bune: The Enigma of the Japanese UFO

Discover the Intriguing Japanese Legend of Utsuro Bune The Enigma of the Mysterious Hollow Ship and its strange passenger The Enigma of the Mysterious Hollow Ship and its strange passenger

On February 22, 1803, fishermen along the Harayadori coast of Hitachi Province encountered an unusual vessel adrift at sea. After towing it ashore, they discovered a vessel measuring 3.30 meters in height and 5.45 meters in width, resembling a kōhako, a Japanese incense burner. The upper portion was made of red-lacquered rosewood, while the lower part was covered with metal plates.

Featuring windows made of glass or crystal covered in bars and sealed with tree resin, the boat's interior walls revealed intricate texts in an unknown language. Remarkably, one symbol resembled South Korea's current flag.

Strange Symbols from Inside the Ship

Inside the vessel, soft carpets of an unidentifiable style and fabric were uncovered. Among the ship supplies were food looking like rice cakes and meat. Further adding to the intrigue was a beautifully decorated cup adorned with ornaments that defied recognition. The entire scene left the witnesses puzzled, unable to decipher the origins of the woman, the boat or the peculiar items within the boat.

Strange Woman of Utsuro Bune

Inside the vessel, the fishermen encountered a young woman, approximately 18 or 20 years old, with a height of 1.7 meters. She had red eyebrows and hair, lengthened by artificial extensions, possibly made of fur or thin. Her face was powdered by white powder. She had white teeth and deep crimson lips, with slender arms. Her overall countenance was pleasant to look at and could be deemed beautiful. She was well-mannered and calm. Clad in a dress of an unfamiliar style, unrecognizable to those who beheld it, she spoke with a fast, harsh-sounding language unknown to the onlookers.

Despite the woman's attempts to communicate, no one understood her, and she seemed equally perplexed. Clutching a quadratic box made of pale material and measuring around 0.6 meters in size, she adamantly prevented anyone from touching it.    

The Depiction of an Enigmatic Woman with Her Ship and a Mysterious Box

The fisherman called for guidance from the village elders on what to do. Those speculated that the woman might be a foreign princess who, due to a scandal involving a forbidden affair, was banished and set adrift in the Utsuro-bune to meet her ultimate destiny on the open ocean. The quadratic box, according to the village elders' theory, might contain the head of her deceased lover. In a bid to uphold tradition and out of fear of taking part in affairs not their own, the villagers decided to return the woman to the Utsuro-bune and release her back into the ocean.

While the decision may seem harsh from a human perspective, it aligns with what is perceived as her predetermined destiny—an essential concept in old Japanese culture.

The fishermen therefore carefully reassembled the Utsuro-bune, placed the woman inside, and set it adrift into the vast ocean.

In a different version of events, the woman remains ashore, ages over time and dies in Japan.

Similar Accounts and Legends

Several additional records document sightings of boats similar to the Utsuro-bune in Japan, such as the 'Hirokata Zuihitsu' (弘賢随筆), recounting an incident in Toyohashi during the 11th year of Genroku (1698). The narrative involves a lone woman found in the boat, who is sent to capital because she is unable to communicate, speaking a language that no one can understand.

Another account from the 18th century, very similar to the Utsuro-bune narrative, similarly describes a strange boat and a woman found inside. However, it places the events in a different location—the harbor of Bōshū.

Among the varied Japanese prehistoric legends that precede the tale of Utsuro Bune by several centuries, we can also find strange similarities with the actual event allegedly happening in 1803.

One such legend is the tale of the origin of the Kōno clan. According the legend, in the 7th century, fishermen discovered a 13-year-old girl in a boat at sea. The girl claimed to be the daughter of the Chinese emperor, fleeing her evil stepmother. Named princess Wake, she married an imperial prince, becoming the ancestor of the Kōno clan.

A related legend involves the "Golden Princess," where a fisherman rescues a girl adrift in a boat, identifying herself as a princess from India. In gratitude, she imparts the secrets of how to make silk to the fisherman and his wife. The rescued girl is later venerated in the Shinto shrine on Gogo island, emphasizing her role in introducing silk cocoons to Japan.

Whether rooted in reality or born from the fertile imagination, the tale of Utsuro-bune endures as a captivating enigma in today's world. Moreover, it is often connected with another significant mystery of our time—UFOs.

You can read similar accounts of unexplained aerial phenomena reports from the same time but different parts of the world here Ancient UFO Reports from Europe

Main Sources of the Utsuro Bune Story

The legend of Utsuro Bune is primarily documented in four prominent texts:

Oushuku Zakki (鶯宿雑記; Miscellaneous Notes from the Nightingale Inn): Penned by Komai Norimura circa 1815.

Toen Shōsetsu (兎園小説, Tales from the Rabbit Garden): Compiled in 1825 by Kyokutei Bakin. Hyōryū Kishū (漂流紀集, Diaries and Stories of Castaways): Authored in 1835 by an unknown writer.

Ume-no-chiri (梅の塵, Dust of the Plum): Crafted in 1844 by Nagahashi Matajirō.

Notably, Toen Shōsetsu provides the most intricate and comprehensive narrative of the legend among these sources.