
Alien conspiracy theories have been with humankind for as long as we’ve looked up at the sky and thought “Holy crap, what is all that?!” Of course, we’ve answered a large part of that question, but the unknown and not-quite-totally-explained still account for vast swathes of the world around us, like “dark energy,” calculus, and what’s really in McNuggets.
And while scientists are hard at work answering our questions, we’re sorry to say we’re not really helping. Here’s one more thing to add to the list of the unexplained: Strange lights spotted in the sky over Tokyo!
Around 4:40 pm on the 25th of December, several blurry, white objects were spotted high in the sky over Tokyo. Though easy to miss if you’re not looking carefully, their presence was spotted and recorded by someone who was, luckily, hanging out on a balcony. A total of six of the spots were seen, though only five are clearly visible in the videos that appeared on YouTube soon after.
Apparently, the white spots moved incredibly slowly and maintained their perfect formation for around 10 minutes before disappearing in the direction of Yamanashi Prefecture. Due to their lethargic pace, it seems unlikely that the blurs were either planes or helicopters. Additionally, the perfectly-maintained formation makes it unlikely that they were just clouds.
▼ Click for larger version.
This lead the videographer to wonder if the spots were actually alien UFOs–or perhaps Santa Claus flying home after a busy night. A more realistic answer might be sun dogs or some other peculiar refraction of sunlight in the atmosphere like mirages or light pillars.
Of course, they may have been the Moon People coming to pick up Kaguya Hime! We’re not really certain, but be sure to check out the videos below and tell us if you can figure it out!
We may never know for sure exactly what these mysterious lights were, but be sure to share your hypotheses in the comments! Right now, we’re leaning towards “strange atmospheric phenomenon,” though we could be persuaded that it was aliens looking for some Christmas KFC…
Source and images: Otakuma



Chinese Air Force chasing UFO believed to have been caught on Google Maps
This crazy tower in a Japanese park promises a message form aliens, so we went to get one【Travel】
Japanese Pokémon card shop grabs scissors as part of its plan to keep scalpers away
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Japan’s rice warehouse stockpile rate hits record high as consumers, restaurants reject high prices
We sent two Japanese elementary school kids on a Mother’s Day shopping mission at a 100 yen store
Does the Fukuryumon Chinese restaurant in Koenji offer the best lunch deal in Tokyo?
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japanese hair salons going bankrupt in record numbers
Holy Fungus Mud Volleyball is Japan’s most filthily beautifying bacteria event of the summer!
Foreign tourist needs ambulance to pick him up at Mt. Fuji after hiking closed trail
Police in Osaka file charges against resident for serial pigeon/crow feeding
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Samurai Coffee: Try Edo period coffee once enjoyed by Japanese warriors
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says