The US Department of Defense has published a document outlining the “world’s UFO hotspots”.
It is based on reports from between 1996 and 2023, and includes a map that shows where unidentified object sightings have been reported the most frequently.
The map was released soon after the Pentagon's top official acknowledged that hundreds of enigmatic objects have been observed “all over the world”. According to the map, UFO sighting hotspots include Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan.
The small town of Iinomachi in Fukushima prefecture, sometimes known as “UFO Town”, is another of Japan’s tourist highlights. In an effort to gain attention and market itself as a “home to aliens”, Iinomachi has been decorated with alien-themed ornaments. It also serves as the headquarters for the International UFO Lab, a study organisation run by alien aficionado Takeharu Mikami that was established in 2021.
According to the Japan Times, the International UFO Lab released six photos in June of “probable UFOs” that were reportedly taken near Kobe and Fukushima, among other areas.
A total of 494 reports received from people in Japan and abroad in a single year were whittled down. Most appeared to be of drones, birds or were just reflections.
Sightings were also reported on the east and west coasts of the US, including California, and regions of the Middle East.
It may surprise enthusiasts who typically identify sightings with the US to learn that Japan and a region of the Middle East, encompassing Iraq and Syria, are hotspots for UFO spotting.
The US government's map is included in a five-page report titled UAP Reporting Trends that was posted on the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office's (AARO) new website, which launched in August. The AARO is a specialised UFO department that was established in July of last year.
Information about AARO and its “efforts to understand and resolve unidentified anomalous phenomena” will be made available to the public via the website.
The launch of the website might signal further efforts on the part of the US government to provide more information about UFO activity.
