A brilliant fireball stunned residents across western Japan on Tuesday night, with the spectacular phenomenon captured on cameras from Kinki to Kyushu regions and sparking comparisons to animated film "Your Name."
The incident occurred at approximately 11:08pm when a luminous spherical object suddenly appeared over Wakayama Prefecture, rapidly expanding into a massive ball of light that briefly turned night into day. Security cameras from Kyodo News in Nachikatsuura showed the fireball descending while illuminating mountain contours and cloud layers before vanishing after several seconds.
The Kagoshima Local Meteorological Observatory confirmed capturing the event and suggested it was "likely a fireball or meteor." Similar sightings were reported across Shikoku region, though no injuries or damage were reported by local authorities.
"At first I thought it was fireworks or lightning," said Saki Tani, a 36-year-old astronomy specialist at Shimanto Astronomical Observatory in Kochi Prefecture whose fixed-point camera recorded the phenomenon. Social media users flooded platforms with footage and speculation about a meteorite impact.
