PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - 9 January 1956

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated military message regarding a sighting incident that occurred on January 9, 1956, off the coast of Honshu, Japan. Between 1235Z and 1431Z, multiple acceptable sources, including aircraft and airborne observers, reported observing brilliant white flashes in the general area between 36 degrees north/135 degrees east and 37 degrees 50 minutes north/137 degrees east. The duration of the observation was recorded as one hour and 56 minutes. In response to the reports, an aircraft was scrambled to investigate the phenomenon; however, no explosive sounds were detected. Weather evaluations for the region indicated that the Sea of Japan and interior Japan were generally clear, though there was a band of strato-cumulus and snow present in the specific area of the observations. The Japanese police also provided reports confirming similar weather conditions in the area. Based on these findings, the official conclusion reached by the military authorities was that the flashes were almost certainly attributable to weather conditions. The document includes a classification cancellation note, indicating that the status was changed to unclassified under authority AFR 205-1D.