For nearly a month, the boys who originally discovered the "Kera Object" continued to search for and experiment with it, almost like a wild animal they hoped to tame.  The tale of their exploits with the bizarre item would be more comfortable to pass off as a childish prank if not for the corroboration of its existence by at least a couple of adults.  One of the boys, Yasuo, brought home the device to be examined by his father, Matsuo Fujimoto, who was then the director of the Center for Science Education in Kōchi City.  The boy's father, someone with scientific training, gave the object a cursory examination.  He determined that it appeared similar to an antique cast iron ashtray, but too light for the real thing.  Peering through the holes in the bottom, Mr. Fujimori noticed that the internal components were similar to a radio's.  However, he was unable to look any closer since it could not be opened and lost interest in the find.  He would later express regret for not having studied the object more closely.  Katsuoka Kojima's mother, Aiko, had also reported that the object glowed like fireflies, while Yasuo Fujimoto's mother had her own sighting of a small UFO about a month later.  In contrast to these possible confirmations of authenticity, a local astronomer interested in the phenomenon, Tsutomu Seki, had interviewed the witnesses and was impressed by them and their story, but still maintained doubts about various elements of the case.  To add to the mystery, at least two other reports of encounters with strikingly similar objects had occurred, one in 1976 about 25 miles to the west from Kera, and another as far away as Suonenjoki, Finland in 1979.  So what are we to make of all the varying details concerning these impossible objects?  If we are to believe ongoing reports, certain authorities already have extraterrestrial items in their possession, but they are strictly guarded secrets not meant for public knowledge.  If we are to believe the thousands of accounts from ordinary citizens, these alien articles are egalitarian in who they choose to appear to.  Perhaps one day, if one of these phenomenal objects can manage to be kept and operated by one of the "Little People," it will open up a new world of discovery and understanding for all of us.  

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