Project 10073 Record Card - Tokyo, Japan - 1 August 1952

On 1 August 1952, at approximately 21:15 hours, a Japanese national with 15 years of civil engineering experience observed an unidentified flying object in the western suburbs of Tokyo, Japan. The witness described the object as baseball-shaped with a light tail, appearing larger than a standard shooting star. Initially observed as light orange and yellow, the object changed to white with a blue rim while in flight. At the final moment of the two-to-three-second observation, the object separated into two round objects before disappearing. The object traveled from west to east in a nearly straight line with a slight curve, at an elevation of 20 to 30 degrees. The witness reported that the speed of the object significantly exceeded that of a jet aircraft and that there was no associated sound. The report notes that other individuals in the Tokyo area also observed the object at the same time. The 600th Air Intelligence Service Squadron investigated the incident in accordance with Air Force Letter 200-5. The official conclusion, supported by the opinion of various Japanese geophysical and solar scientists, was that the object was a natural phenomenon, such as a meteor. This assessment was corroborated by observers at Headquarters FEAF, who also concluded the object was a meteorite. The report includes an enclosure featuring a sketch of the observation, detailing the object's appearance relative to the moon and its trajectory.