Defense Minister Taro Kono said he would consider establishing procedures should there be an encounter with an unidentified flying object, after the U.S. Defense Department released videos of unidentified objects.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Kono said the ministry would consider the guidelines for the Self-Defense Forces to respond to such an event, saying, "I want to draw up thorough procedures in case of an encounter."
The three videos released by the defense department on Monday were taken by the U.S. Navy in 2004 and 2015. They have fueled speculation UFOs are real.
"It would appear SDF pilots have never encountered UFOs," Kono said, adding the ministry would consider matters such as how a possible UFO encounter would be recorded.
However, Kono added, "I don't believe in UFOs."
The videos had been previously circulated online in 2017 and 2018 by a private entity that had obtained them.
The Pentagon said the aerial phenomena "remain characterized as 'unidentified,'" leaving the mystery unsolved.
One of the videos was taken in November 2004, and the other two were recorded in January 2015, according to the Pentagon. The black and white videos last for about 30 seconds to a minute and show rotating aerial objects.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
