Real Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Book III

Utsuro-bune

Utsuro-bune (虚舟,'hollow ship'), also Utsuro-fune, and Urobune, was an unknownobject that allegedly washed ashore in 1803 in Hitachi province onthe eastern coast of Japan. When defining Utsuro-bune, the bune partmeans "boat" while Utsuro means empty, or hollow.Accounts of the tale appear in three texts: Toen shōsetsu (1825),Hyōryū kishū (1835) and Ume-no-chiri (1844).

According to legend, an attractiveyoung woman aged 18-20 years old, arrived on a local beach aboard the"hollow ship" on February 22, 1803. Fishermenbrought her inland to investigate further, but the woman was unableto communicate in Japanese. She was very different from anyone elsethere. The fishermen then returned her and her vessel to the sea,where it drifted away.

Historians, ethnologists and physicistssuch as Kazuo Tanaka and Yanagita Kunio have evaluated the "legendof the hollow boat" as part of a long-standing traditionwithin Japanese folklore. Alternatively, certain ufologists haveclaimed that the story represents evidence for a close encounter withextraterrestrial life.

Historical sources

The best-known versions of the legendare found in three texts:

Toen shōsetsu (兎園小説,"tales from the rabbit garden"), composed in 1825 byKyokutei Bakin. The manuscript is today on display at theMukyū-Kai-Toshokan at Machida (Tokyo prefecture).

Hyōryū kishū (漂流紀集,"diaries and stories of castaways"), composed duringthe Edo period in 1835 by an unknown author. It is today on displayat the library of the Tenri University at Tenri in the Naraprefecture.

Ume-no-chiri (梅の塵,"dust of the apricot"), composed in 1844 byNagahashi Matajirō. It is today on display at the private libraryIwase-Bunko-Toshokan (岩瀬文庫図書館)at Nara.

Description in all three books bearsimilarity, thus they seem to have the same historical origins. Thebook Toen shōsetsu contains the most detailed version.

Legend

Toen shōsetsu

On February 22, 1803, local fishers ofthe Harayadori (はらやどり)shore in the Hitachi province saw an ominous "ship"drifting in the waters. Curious, they towed the vessel back to land,discovering that it was 3.30 meters (10.83 feet) high and 5.45 meters(17.88 feet) wide, reminding the witnesses of a Kōhako (Japaneseincense burner). Its upper part appeared to be made of red coatedrosewood, while the lower part was covered with brazen plates,obviously to protect it against the sharp-edged rocks. The upper parthad several windows made of glass or crystal, covered with bars andclogged with some kind of tree resin. The shape of the hollow boatresembled a wooden rice pit. The windows were completely transparentand the baffled fishermen looked inside. The inner side of theUtsuro-bune was decorated with texts written in an unknown language.The fishermen found items inside such as two bed sheets, a bottlefilled with 3.6 liters of water, some cake and kneaded meat. Then thefishermen saw a beautiful young woman, possibly 18 or 20 years old.Her body size was said to be 1.5 meters (4.92 feet). The woman hadred hair and eyebrows, the hair elongated by artificial whiteextensions. The extensions could have been made of white fur or thin,white-powdered textile streaks. This hairstyle cannot be found in anyliterature. The skin of the lady was a very pale pink color. She woreprecious, long and smooth clothes of unknown fabrics. The woman beganspeaking, but no one understood her. She did not seem to understandthe fishermen either, so no one could ask her about her origin.Although the mysterious woman appeared friendly and courteous, sheacted oddly, for she always clutched a quadratic box made of palematerial and around 0.6 m (24 in) in size. The woman did not allowanyone to touch the box, no matter how kindly or pressingly thewitnesses asked.