TOKYO (Reuters) - Yes, UFOs do exist, Japan's top government spokesman said on Tuesday.

The comment by chief cabinet secretary Nobutaka Machimura drew laughter from reporters at his regular briefing on government policy.

Earlier the cabinet, responding to an opposition lawmaker's question, issued a statement saying it could not confirm any cases of unidentified flying objects.

"This is an issue that the nation is interested in -- it is a defence issue and a confirmation operation needs to take place," Ryuji Yamane, a lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party who submitted the question to the cabinet, told Reuters.

"But the government does not even try to collect information necessary for the confirmation."

Machimura, asked about the government's view on UFOs at a regular press conference, told reporters that the government can only offer a stereotyped response.

"Personally, I definitely believe they exist," he said, apparently tongue in cheek.

But the prime minister stuck to the official view.

"I have yet to confirm (that UFOs exist)," Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told reporters later in the day.

(Reporting by Yoko Kubota and George Nishiyama, Editing by Michael Watson)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071218/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_ufo

Hmm, a quick scan of the "Worldwide" forum and I can't see any reports from Japan. I will have to have a look for some and remedy that...

Here is something I found after doing a search on Yahoo.

JAL pilot's UFO story surfaces after 20 years
One December evening in 1986, reports Shukan Shincho (Dec 7), two Kyodo News journalists presented themselves by appointment at the London hotel room of JAL pilot by the name of Terauchi. He had a story for them – but should he be telling it? Should they be listening? Are UFOs serious?

Journalism is a skeptical trade, and as for pilots, even if they do spot strange lights, objects and movements in the sky for which they can conceive no other explanation, they are expected to keep their suspicions to themselves. Their livelihood depends on passengers' confidence. Talk of UFOs does not encourage it.

SOURCE: http://www.japantoday.com/jp/kuchikomi/443