Iino
飯野町
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UFO Museum in Iino
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Location of Iino in Fukushima Prefecture
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| Country | Japan |
| Region | Tōhoku |
| Prefecture | Fukushima |
| District | Date |
| First established | January 1, 1955 |
| Merged with Fukushima City | July 1, 2008 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 21.31 km2 (8.23 sq mi) |
| Population
(October 1, 2020)
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| • Total | 5,201 |
| • Density | 240/km2 (630/sq mi) |
| - Tree | Red pine |
| - Flower | Cherry blossom |
| - Bird | Japanese tit |
Iino (飯野町, Iino-machi) was a town located in Date District, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. On July 1, 2008, Iino was merged into the expanded city of Fukushima. As of 2020, the area of the former town had an estimated population of 5,201 and a population density of 270 persons per km².
Iino is famous for UFOs.[1] Japan's first-ever "UFO lab" for study and observation was opened here in 2020.[2] The UFO Fureaikan museum is also located nearby, close to Senganmori mountain.[3]
Iino is located near the center of Fukushima Prefecture in the northern hills of the Abukuma Highlands. The Abukuma River flows on the Western side of the town. Senganmori mountain, one of the town's symbols Prior to the merger, it was the third smallest municipality in Fukushima after the villages of Yugawa and Nakajima.
Per Japanese census data, the population of Iino has declined steadily since 1955.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 9,485 | — |
| 1960 | 9,016 | −4.9% |
| 1970 | 8,016 | −11.1% |
| 1980 | 7,650 | −4.6% |
| 2000 | 6,773 | −11.5% |
| 2010 | 6,031 | −11.0% |
| 2020 | 5,201 | −13.8% |
| https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en | ||
In a small Japanese town with desolate streets and shuttered storefronts, aliens are said to be frequent visitors.
In September 2020, Japan launched protocols to analyze aerial phenomena, encouraging Iino's alien believers to open in June the country's first-ever lab aiming to observe UFOs ... The center accepts international reports of alien life, then investigates each claim with the sources provided to determine whether it is credible.
Long before Iino's alien research lab was created in 2020, the town had established the UFO Fureaikan in 1992, a museum documenting alleged extraterrestrial life. The town received funding from the Japanese government, which distributed grants between 1988 and 1989 to revitalize languishing regions. Inside, the museum displays statues of various human conceptions of aliens and literature about such creatures, and screens a film about alien lore.
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