The Utsuro-Bune Japanese Folklore Tale: In 1803 a strange craft washed ashore in Hitachi Province (present-day Ibaraki Prefecture) on the eastern coast of Japan. The saucer-shaped craft was described by local fishermen as reminiscent of the shape of an incense burner with a central domed opening, or window on the top, surrounded by a number of other variously shaped openings. When the locals looked inside the craft they were surprised to see a young woman with pale skin and red hair. The ends of her hair were extended with white fur or possibly fabric of some kind. She wore long, smooth clothing made of a fabric the onlookers didn’t recognize. On the inside of the craft the observers could also see strange pictographs made up mainly of triangles and circles on the interior walls.
Once the young woman emerged from the craft she began to speak in a language that nobody understood, and although her demeanor was friendly she acted quite oddly. Additionally, she carried a small wooden box, which she guarded very closely, not allowing anyone to touch it…
This is the Japanese folklore legend of ‘Utsuro-bune’.
