Somewhere in the Skies - FEED DROP | Supernatural Japan: UFOs in Fukushima

Episode Date: June 5, 2026

This week, Ryan Sprague is sharing a special feed drop from a podcast he thinks Somewhere in the Skies listeners will love: Supernatural Japan. Hosted by Kevin O'Shea, Supernatural Japan explores the fascinating crossroads of folklore, history, true crime, and the paranormal across Japan. In this featured episode, "Strange Skies in Japan: UFOs in Fukushima," you'll journey to the legendary UFO Village of Iino, home to decades of UFO sightings, mysterious lights, close encounter reports, and the famous Iino UFO Museum. Discover how this small town became Japan's UFO hotspot and what its enduring mysteries reveal about belief, folklore, and the unknown. If you've ever been curious about the stranger side of Japan, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Enjoy this special feed drop, and be sure to subscribe to Supernatural Japan wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at: www.supernaturaljapan.com Send us a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/SomewhereSkiesPod Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/somewhereskies ByMeACoffee: http://www.buymeacoffee.com/UFxzyzHOaQ Substack: https://ryansprague.substack.com/ All socials and books: https://linktr.ee/somewhereskiespod Email: [e-mail] Copyright © 2026 Ryan Sprague. All rights reserved. #FeedDrop #Fukushima #Supernatural #Japan #Folklore #TrueCrime #Paranormal #UFOs #Aliens #Ghosts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spectre Vision Radio. I invite you to be a tourist and step into the minds of those people lost to the unknown. When I was five years old, I became terrified of something in my room. There was a disembodied voice, sighing, and I moved around the room, and the boys moved with me. When I was a little kid, I used to see, like, the medicine men have to go outside and chase away skin walkers. Clairvoyance is seeing mental images, symbols. Why is it that so many DMT experiencers report to? being pulled into alien realms.

We have hundreds and hundreds of people who have seen these UFOs. I am desperately afraid of being seen as crazy. The weird borderline between dream and reality. We're at the cemetery. There's something moving through the woods that stand right outside of our lights. From behind the fridge door comes a big, dark figure.

And I could just see the small, red, beady eyes. He got really close to my face, and he said, stay away from things you don't understand. The paranormal consciousness, folklore, the occult, quantum physics, UFOs, hauntings, psychedelics, nightmares, creativity, philosophy, ghost doors, mysticism, big foot, epistemology, synchronicness, high strangeness, the cosmic joke, strange and haunted up, human potential intelligence, intelligence, the other. Spectorision Radio, a strange podcast network for strange times.

Are you one of those media strategy people clicking through slides, scrolling spreadsheets? Yes? Good. This is for you. Because on Spotify, there's an audience that's different, locked in, loyal, invested. They're called fans. Fans don't just listen to music. They feel seen by it, like it belongs to them.

So when your brand shows up on Spotify, that's who you're talking to. And you're right next to artists like me, Lizzo. So, are you ready to talk to fans? Spotify advertising. You're among fans. Hey, what's going on, guys? Ryan Sprague here. And welcome to a special feed drop episode of Somewhere in the Skies.

Some of you might know, I've spent a lot of time traveling throughout Japan, and I had the incredible opportunity to explore Japan's history, culture, and countless mysteries. So when I came across a podcast called Supernatural Japan, I knew it was something I wanted to share with all of you. Supernatural Japan dives deep into the fascinating intersection of folklore, history, true crime, and the paranormal. What I love most about the show is that it's not just storytelling, storytelling's sake, each episode is thoroughly researched and grounded in cultural and historical

context. And this episode I'm going to share with you is no exception. It's titled Strange Skies in Japan, UFOs in Fukushima. It's about a place that I wanted to visit so bad when I was there, but I didn't have the opportunity yet. But after listening to this episode, you are going to want to hop on a plane just like me and head to Fukushima. So today, you'll discover one of Japan's strangest destinations, UFO Nosato, or UFO Village.

The episode explores the Ino UFO Museum, a town famous for decades of UFO sightings, mysterious lights, and close encounter stories. From post-war sightings to modern pop culture, the episode examines why Ino became Japan's UFO hotspot, and what the phenomenon reveals about belief, folklore, and the unknown. So whether you're interested in ghosts, folklore, true crime, or simply learning more about a side of Japan that most travel guides never talk about, I truly feel you're going to find something to enjoy here. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this special feed drop from Supernatural Japan. And if you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also learn more and explore the entire catalog of episodes at supernaturaljapan.com. All right, y'all, let's head to Fukushima. Enjoy the show. Welcome back to Supernatural Japan. Tonight we travel to a place where mystery is woven into the identity of an entire community. My name is Kevin O'Shea, and this is the story of a small mountain town in Fukushima prefecture that decided to look up rather than fade away, a place that proudly calls itself UFO no Sato,

the home of UFOs. And at the center of all of this stands the Ino UFO Museum, nestled beneath the watchful silhouette of Sengon Mori Mountain. This is a story of sightings. Folklore, resilience, and the strange waved, to the unknown can give life to a town struggling to hold on. Now, this is our third episode to focus on UFOs. In episode three of the podcast, I talked about the JAL,

the JAL flight 1638 UFO incident. And in episode 38, we discussed the hollow ship of Hitachi, Japan's first UFO. Now, let's get started with this episode. Just outside Fukushima City, quiet fields and forested slopes surround the small town of Inno. Rising above it is Sangan Mori, a steep triangular mountain whose shape looks almost engineered, like a natural pyramid placed there deliberately. Locals say that compasses can behave strangely near the summit.

Others speak of a subtle, electrical feeling in the air, on humid summer evenings. Whether these sensations stem from geology, atmosphere, or psychology, Sangon Mori has always seemed to hold a kind of silent authority. Reports of strange lights near the mountain began surfacing in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. Farmers returning from their fields at dusk

spoke of glowing orbs, hovering motionless above the tree top. Drivers on rural roads described lights rising vertically against the unexpected patterns of aircraft, and hikers reported darting shapes that shifted in color and vanished behind the ridge. At first, these stories circulated quietly, shared between neighbors over tea and late night drinks, but they continued for decades, forming a growing patchwork of experiences that was hard to ignore. By the late 1980s, word had spread far beyond Fukushima. Magazine writers, curious enthusiasts, and even television crews began visiting the area. The quiet mountain

outside Eno had become known as one of Japan's most active UFO hotspots. Japan saw a major UFO boom in the 1970s and 80s. Television specials, dramatized sightings, manga explored alien encounters, and magazines fueled speculation. As the stories around Sengen Mori multiplied, Eno found itself in an unexpected spotlight. For a town facing some population decline affecting rural Japan, that spotlight both seemed strange and promising. Two leaders eventually realize that the ongoing interest in UFOs wasn't just surpassing curiosity. It could be the foundation of something meaningful. Something that could set Eno apart from thousands of other small towns struggling to survive.

And instead of dismissing the stories as embarrassment or superstition, Eno embraced them. The town leaned fully into its reputation, deciding that if people were coming to see UFOs, then the town would give them something to see. In the early 1990s, Eno opened the UFO Friken, the museum that would eventually evolved into today's Eno UFO Museum. At the time, it was a bold and unusual move. The national media took notice, a rural Japanese town building a public museum dedicated entirely to UFOs was unheard of. But the people of Eno believed in the project. They believed in their mountain, their stories, and the potential to transform curiosity into cultural identity.

Over time, the museum became the centerpiece of a broader project branding Eno as UFO no Sato or UFO no Sato, the home of UFOs. The town-built UFO theme statues, murals and street. decorations. Local stores began selling alien-shaped snacks and UFO curry. Posters featuring a friendly alien mascot appeared around the area welcoming visitors. Even the bus stops were redesigned to incorporate whimsical UFO imagery. Annual festivals celebrated the stories of sightings, offered sky-watching events, live performances, and talks by researchers from around Japan. The town created a world where the paranormal wasn't just entertainment. It was hometown pride.

Walking inside the Eno UFO Museum feels like entering a hybrid of a folklore archive, Science Center, and retro sci-fi exhibit. Along the walls are decades' worth of sightings, reports, handwritten testimonial letters from residents, and detailed maps, showing clusters of sightings around Senggan Mori. Photographs and videos from both locals and visitors fill display cases. Some blurry or inconclusive, others eerily compelling. Glowing spheres hovering above the hills, zigzagging lights and inexplicable trails that cut across the night sky.

The museum also contains scaled models of UFOs described. and famous global incidents, anthropological displays comparing alien encounters from different cultures and exhibitions exploring everything from Roswell to the Nazca lines. One section dives into Earth science, discussing atmospheric phenomena, optical illusions, and astronomical objects that can easily be mistaken for UFOs. Another section showcases the creativity of human imagination, movie props, toy collection, and artistic renderings of extraterrestrial life. In 2021, the town added something even more unusual. The International UFO Laboratory.

This research team collects and analyzes citing reports from all over Japan. They review surveillance footage. amateur videos and eyewitness accounts, then classify each case using unique rating system based on credibility and strangeness. Once a year, they publish their findings in a public report, ranking the most compelling UFO sightings of the year. And their mission may be lighthearted, but their methodology is surprisingly systematic. The museum isn't just for preserving folklore.

It is actively contributing to Japan's modern UFO research. This spring, denim gets a softer, lighter update. Introducing Old Navy's drapey denim wide leg, a new fit that moves with you. It's everything you want denim to feel like for summer. Easy, breathable, and effortlessly cool. With a fit that creates natural movement and a wide leg that feels modern, not overwhelming. Plus, that signature, wait, for this price, moment. Old Navy's drapeedem wide leg.

Like many rural communities, Eno has suffered from depopulation for decades. Young people leave to pursue opportunities in cities. Schools, closes, birth rates decline, and businesses struggle to cope with shrinking local demand. Against this backdrop, the UFO Museum has become an unexpected lifeline for the town's identity and economy. Tours visit specifically.

to experience UFO no Sato, boosting demand for local restaurants, inns, and guest houses. Journalists, bloggers, and YouTubers frequently feature the town, bringing exposure that most small towns can only dream of. School groups visit the museum as part of science or social studies field trips. Local craft people sell UFO-themed pottery, key chains and textiles. Even the simple act if families taking a scenic drive to Sangamori generates revenue for surrounding businesses. And beyond economics, the museum has rekindled a sense of pride among residents. Rather than fading quietly, Ino has become known nationwide as a place where imagination thrives, a town that turns strange lights in the sky into a reason to hope.

Japan has several well-known UFO hotspots. Kofu in Yamanashi Prefecture, with its famous alien encounter case. Mount Ikoma between Osaka and Nara, where locals routinely report glowing orbs, and remote regions of Hokkaido, where the long winter nights reveal all sorts of strange atmospheric phenomena. But Fukushima, and especially Ino, Senkan Mori area, stands out for its consistent. Citinges have been reported steadily for more than half a century. Unlike many communities, where sightings come in waves, Eno's reports form a continuous timeline. The town also benefits from ideal skywatching conditions. The surrounding valleys avoid light pollution, and the elevated

ridge lines offer long views of the night sky. Cultural reinforcement plays a role as well, When a community openly talks about UFOs, residents are more likely to come forward with their own experiences. And visitors who arrive expecting strange sites keep the cycle going. Eno's unusual decision to create a museum, establish a research laboratory, and officially brand itself around UFO culture, help cement Fukushima's reputation as one of Japan's most prominent UFO regions. One of the most intriguing aspects of Fukushima's UFO history is the increase in sightings

after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake tsunami and nuclear accident. The disaster drew global attention to the region and in the months and years that followed, people began reporting more unusual lights in the sky. Some sightings were near the coastline where the tsunami hit hardest. Others appeared in the evacuation zones, or even in the sky above the Fukushima Daiichi plant itself. Now there are several possible explanations. One is technological. Drones used for radiation assessment may have been unfamiliar to many observers. Military aircraft, both Japanese and American, were active in the region and their lights could easily be misinterpreted,

especially under stressful circumstances. Atmospheric distortions caused by debris, humidity, or power outages could also create unusual visual effects. And there is the psychological component. During crisis, people watch the sky more intently, and trauma heightened sensitivity to the unusual. Of course, some UFO researchers have their own theories. They suggest that extraterrestrial observers might be drawn to nuclear events.

This belief isn't unique to Japan. Globally, there is a long-standing association in UFO lore between sightings and nuclear facilities. And while there is no scientific evidence to support these ideas, the cultural impact is real. The post-2011 increase in sightings added another chapter, to Fukushima's already rich UFO narrative, and the museum has collected many of these reports as part of its living archive. What makes Eno's connection to UFOs so compelling

isn't just the possibility of extraterrestrial visitors. It's of the human response to the unknown. Elderly residents share memories of lights they saw as children, and middle-aged locals recall the excitement of the UFO boom of the night. 1980s, when TV crews and reporters would wander through town. Younger residents see the UFO identity as something unique and quirky, a reason to feel proud of their hometown.

Visitors come seeking adventure, mystery, or simply a story they can't find anywhere else. The museum staff approached the subject with a blend of curiosity and reverence. They do not insist that visitors believe in UFOs. Instead, they encourage people to engage with the stories, evidence, and folklore that define the region. In this way, the museum preserves something more valuable than proof. It preserves the imagination of a community. Standing near the summit of Sangamori, on a clear night, the town of Inno looks like a gentle scatter of lights in the darkness. The sky above feels impossibly vast.

When the wind dies, the silence can be startling. It's in this stillness that the mountain's reputation begins to make sense. You can understand why people have looked up at the sky and wondered whether something or someone might be watching back. Whether the strange lights of Fukushima are aircraft, atmospheric effects, or something beyond our understanding, they have shaped the identity of this small town, and a way few mysteries ever do. In Eno, UFOs are not just sightings or stories. They are heritage, hope, and a reminder that even in places facing hardship, the unknown can inspire new beginnings.

Now, to see a lot of the things I'm talking about, I would like to recommend a great video by Chris Broad on the Abroad in Japan YouTube channel called Why This Rural Japanese Town is a UFO hotspot. Now, if you check this video out, it is extremely well done. It's a great video on this topic and you can see the various places that I talked about in this episode. Now from what I gather, Chris Broad, this incredible content creator, in my opinion, one of the best Japan-based content creators out there has a legitimate interest in the UFO topic and he really wanted to make this mini documentary. It's really fantastic. You can see all of, again, all of the places I talked about in this episode. The link to this video will be in the show notes.

Thank you for joining us on this journey into the strange and unexplained UFO goings on in Fukushima Prefecture. If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That's right. If you're on Spotify, hit subscribe. If you're on Apple Podcasts, hit subscribe. No matter where you are, please hit subscribe. And join us next time as we explore more mysterious corners of Japan. Now, this will be the last episode before Christmas. So happy holidays, everyone. I hope you have a fantastic end of year. Now, to see photos of the Eno UFO Museum and all the different places I talked about in this episode, follow our Instagram over at Supernatural Japan. Please, I would love to have more of you find folks over on the Instagram. We need more followers. We also have a Facebook group. That link is in the show notes as

well where you can, of course, find lots of cool photos of the different topics on the podcast and other photos as well I share. I'm on Blue Sky and on X at Mad for Maple posting about spooky things, mysterious things and things that aren't spooky at all. Things just about life in Asia. My life is an expat person. Now, you can shoot me an email anytime you would like at supernatural Japan at gmail.com. I would love to hear your ideas, your stories, any weird or spooky experiences you've had in Japan or anywhere else in the world. And let me know if you'd like me to share them on the podcast. I'd love to do that. Now, you fine folks listening can help Supernatural Japan grow by sharing this podcast on your own social media, by reposting the things that

post by sharing on your own Facebook with your family and your friends, your classmates and your colleagues that would help so much. Now we also have a Buy Me a Coffee page. Go check that out. You can make one-time donations or become a member that helps so much. Again, the link is in the show notes. And that's it, folks. Thank you for joining me on this journey into one of Japan's most unusual supernatural landscapes. And until next time, keep your eyes on the skies and your imagination open. For me, like, I will have a dream about a series of things, and then that next day, those things will sort of pop up.

And sometimes it's like, oh, like, I know I'm going to run into this person, so I'm dreaming about them the day before or whatever. You know, I was just flipping through my dream journal this morning. And when I opened the journal, I opened right to a page that was about Walton Goggins. And I actually met Walton Gagins yesterday. It just felt like another weird, like, oh, cool, I need to keep dream journaling.