Shiroi AB, Japan, November 1957November 1957

Insufficient Data

Summary

On a night in November 1957, someone at Shiroi Air Base in Japan observed an object in the sky that the Air Force could not immediately explain. The object rose toward the northwest and remained visible for thirteen minutes before fading from sight.

According to the witness report, the object appeared round or elliptical in shape and was colored cream to white. It moved in front of clouds during the observation. The object's brightness changed several times, and its edges appeared fuzzy or blurred rather than sharply defined. At one point, the object seemed to hover in place.

When Air Force investigators reviewed the case, they found the description resembled a balloon in most respects. However, they noted one puzzlement: the sighting lasted only thirteen minutes, which was unusually short if the object really was a balloon. Because key details were missing from the report (particularly the exact time of the sighting), the Air Force marked the case as insufficient data for evaluation and could not reach a firm conclusion about what the witness had seen.

The full case file, comprising 10 pages as microfilmed by the National Archives, is reproduced below.

Reported location

Shiroi AB, Japan, November 1957

Date of incident

November 1957

State / country

? / XX

Page count

10 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 30

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 10

View transcribed text

: : RST pyre TT ———— - jE :
F . y a i & a8 J fe ARR Jel sds han 4 sad Sadie dl ust Eo ET *
LY
hv PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD |
Mer 4 ee EE ee ee ee ee. Ee tet Settle. = EE Pr Ps et A a lor met SETA EA.
I. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS |
< O Wos Balloon
C10 November 1907 Shiroi AB, Japan 5 Heh 14 ht be |
3. OATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION RETIN we |
night ODO Was Aircraft
DEIN iit iniiataiiiinamante 8. Ground- Visual O Ground-Rodar Q Probably Aircraft :
CMT pnoL rapport 2d O Air Visuadl 0 Air-Intercept Rodor DO Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE 00 Was Astronomical
O Yes O Probably Astronomical
) O'Ne Military O Possibly Astronomical
i LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE oS nT RR A ER NRL :
0 Zinsufficient Date for Evaluation
» : od ...]0 Unknown
) l & mins one rising to NW
10. BRIEF SUMMARY CF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS
Object in NW rising, In sight for 13 Time of sighting not reported
minutes, Moved in front of clouds. Description resembles a bailoon
d Appeared as a round or elliptical objedt./ obsewation with the exception
| Cream to white coior. Hovered, Fuzay of the rather short duration.
or blurred, Faded out & changed in Case listed as insufficient data.
rightness during bbservation,
; ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)
i tt 0 RN i TT I rT : |

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28974454