UFO Criticism by JN from Japan - 2011 05 - vol 11 no 1

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO Criticism by J.N. from Japan
Issue: The 19th Issue, Vol.11 No.1
Date: May 2011
Publisher: Junji Numakawa
Country: Japan
Price: Not for sale

Tsunami Needs No UFO

This article, written by J.N. (Junji Numakawa), argues that UFOs were not relevant to the colossal tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster in Japan on March 11, 2011. The author, a Japanese national, apologizes for the nuclear disaster, stating it was avoidable and not a "once a thousand years" event. He highlights that one district survived due to a tall bank built in the 1960s, based on a village headman's attention to a tradition about a 15-meter wave from an 1896 event. Numakawa asserts that there was no secret to be learned from UFOs; everything was within human control.

Historical Context of UFO Appearances

The author contrasts the Fukushima nuclear disaster with earlier UFO appearances over American atomic-bomb-related areas in the early years of the Flying Saucer age. He interprets these past appearances as a statement from "space people" indicating their intervention to prevent extinction by nuclear war, viewing it as a necessary help to a "hopeless planet." He notes that nuclear weapons testing during the Cold War scattered far larger quantities of radioactive substances than the Fukushima disaster.

Analysis of Specific Sightings

Due to his perspective, Numakawa expresses little interest in studying UFO-like objects seen during the tsunami. He presents an example of a "luminous body" captured by an NHK helicopter over Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, at approximately 15:51 on the day of the disaster. The object maintained a consistent interval from the screen frame for about five seconds, despite the helicopter's movement. Initially, Numakawa considered it a reflection on the camera lens or case. However, Osamu Sato, president of the Sky People Association, identified it as a helicopter, with a larger screen view faintly showing a rotating rotor. Further observations at approximately 15:58 showed three bright dots exhibiting "freer flights," which Sato suggested might appear as birds flapping their wings on a larger screen.

• Numakawa provides personal notes regarding these observations:
• #1: He was at his workplace in southern Tokyo during the earthquake, and his office sustained no damage.
• #2: He believes space people could easily render primitive weapons powerless, implying their interest in atomic and hydrogen bombs was for humanity's benefit, not their own.
• #3: He used a YouTube video of the NHK live broadcast, noting that the TV screen's time display was incorrect, with the actual time being around 15:55.
• #4: He clarifies that the time for the second observation was around 16:00.

The article mentions that an unfinished version of this piece was posted on the UFO Digest site on May 1, sent via Kiyoshi Amamiya.

Reference to Mamoru Sato's Book

The author also references his previous article from the September 2010 issue about Mamoru Sato's book, "A True Record: UFOs the Self-Defense Force Pilots Encountered Closely." He states that this article was distributed internationally via the internet by Kiyoshi Amamiya (born 1944), described as the most active UFOlogist in Japan. While the article was reproduced on numerous websites, primarily from the UFO Digest site, Sato's book received little public response in Japan, with only Weekly Pureiboi (Playboy) magazine featuring a long article on it.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The central theme of this issue is a critical stance towards the idea that UFOs played a role in or were significant during the 2011 Japanese tsunami and nuclear disaster. The editorial stance is one of skepticism regarding the necessity or relevance of UFOs in such events, emphasizing human responsibility and capability. The author posits that past UFO activity might have been related to preventing nuclear war, but dismisses their involvement in contemporary natural and man-made disasters. The magazine appears to focus on critical analysis and historical context within the field of UFOlogy.