Photo: アラツク, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Biratori is a town located in Hidaka Subprefecture on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, covering an area of 743.09 square kilometers with a population density of just 5 people per square kilometer. The town's name means 'between the rocky cliffs' in the Ainu language, reflecting its dramatic mountainous setting. In 1964, the Cosmic Brotherhood Association constructed a large extraterrestrial contact altar here, making it one of Japan's most unusual UFO-related sites. The location was specifically chosen based on Ainu oral traditions regarding the deity Okikurumi, transforming this remote Hokkaido town into a focal point for both indigenous spirituality and modern UFO beliefs.
Peak of traditional Ainu culture in Hokkaido region, with oral traditions of Okikurumi firmly established
Cosmic Brotherhood Association constructs large extraterrestrial contact altar at Biratori
Town maintains population of approximately 4,361 residents across 2,374 households
Biratori's archaeological significance lies primarily in its role as a center of Ainu culture rather than ancient structures. The town sits in a region rich with Ainu historical sites, though specific excavations and findings in Biratori itself are not extensively documented in mainstream archaeological literature. The area's indigenous heritage centers around oral traditions rather than monumental architecture.
The most significant modern addition to Biratori's landscape came in 1964 when the Cosmic Brotherhood Association, a Japanese UFO religious group, constructed their contact altar. This structure represents an interesting intersection of indigenous spiritual beliefs with 20th-century UFO phenomena, though it lacks archaeological value in the traditional sense.
The Ainu traditions surrounding Okikurumi are well-documented in ethnographic studies. Okikurumi appears in numerous Ainu epic poems called yukar, where he is portrayed as a cultural hero and divine figure. These oral traditions, passed down through generations, form the primary 'evidence' for the site's spiritual significance to the Ainu people.
What remains genuinely intriguing is how a 1960s UFO group interpreted ancient Ainu mythology through the lens of extraterrestrial contact. The selection of Biratori specifically suggests the Cosmic Brotherhood Association conducted research into local traditions, though the exact reasoning behind choosing this location over other sites associated with Okikurumi legends is not fully documented.
The town's name 'Biratori' literally means 'between the rocky cliffs' in the Ainu language
Biratori has one of the lowest population densities in Japan at just 5 people per square kilometer
The 1964 extraterrestrial contact altar represents one of Japan's earliest organized UFO contact sites
Okikurumi appears in multiple Ainu epic poems called yukar as both a cultural hero and divine messenger
Biratori is generally accessible to visitors via road connections through Hokkaido, though the remote location requires planning. The town serves as a gateway to experiencing Ainu culture in Hokkaido, with the unusual addition of the 1960s extraterrestrial contact site. Check local tourism resources for current accessibility to specific sites within the town.
Sapporo, approximately 120 kilometers northeast
Late spring through early autumn offers the most comfortable weather conditions for visiting this mountainous region of Hokkaido. Winter visits are possible but require preparation for harsh weather and potential road closures.
Dogon Country
Both sites involve indigenous peoples whose traditional stories have been interpreted as describing ancient extraterrestrial contact
Choctaw Nation, Oklahoma
Another location where Native American spiritual traditions have been connected to ancient astronaut theories
Tunguska explosion site
A remote location in a sparsely populated region of Russia associated with unexplained phenomena and UFO theories
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia