The Man From Nowhere: Japan, 1954

Summary

Sightings Episode Summary: "The Man From Nowhere: Japan, 1954"

Introduction

In this intriguing episode of Sightings, host McLeod Andrews and co-host Brian Sigley delve into one of the most enigmatic supernatural events recorded in the mid-20th century—the mysterious disappearance of a man purportedly from the non-existent country of Taured in Tokyo, Japan, in 1954. Blending immersive storytelling with deep analytical discussions, the episode explores whether this event is a case of interdimensional travel, an elaborate forgery, or simply an enduring urban legend.

The Man from Taured: An Unexplained Encounter

Hiroshi Tanaka (narrated by McLeod Andrews) provides a detailed account of the incident:

"My name is Hiroshi Tanaka. The date is July 7, 1954..." ([05:22])

As an immigration officer at Tokyo Haneda Airport, Tanaka recounts his encounter with a European man who presented a flawless passport from a country called Taured—a nation Tanaka had never heard of. The man’s documentation was impeccable, containing multiple stamps, business cards, and even local currency, all bearing the emblem of Taured’s national bank. However, Taured did not exist on any world maps.

When questioned, the man confidently pointed to Taured’s location on a map, asserting it was "between France and Spain," directly overlapping with the actual location of Andorra. Despite presenting credible documents, the man exhibited increasing agitation as officers failed to verify his country. Efforts to contact the supposed employer and hotel reservations yielded no results, deepening the mystery.

The situation escalated when, after being housed overnight at the airport hotel, the man vanished without a trace. Tanaka describes hearing a peculiar electrical humming and witnessing a strange greenish-blue light before finding the room completely empty—no sign of the man or his belongings ([16:59]).

Analyzing the Mystery: Multiverse or Masterful Fraud?

Following the recounting, McLeod and Brian transition into a comprehensive discussion analyzing the event's possibilities and origins.

Skeptical Gecko vs. Believer Beaver

Brian adopts a skeptical stance, highlighting the lack of concrete evidence supporting the multiverse theory:

"If there was something real about the man from Taured... I kind of have to fall on kind of the skeptical gecko on this one." ([36:47])

He suggests that the story might stem from an elaborate forgery or a significant miscommunication, especially considering the post-World War II context in Japan, which was rife with uncertainty and reconstruction efforts.

Conversely, McLeod explores the more fantastical possibility of interdimensional travel:

"I can't say without a doubt this didn't happen because there is some sort of scientific basis for it." ([36:47])

He expresses fascination with the multiverse concept, noting that reputable scientists have theorized its existence. McLeod invites listeners to engage with scientific explanations, such as string theory and multidimensionality, to better understand the plausibility of such phenomena.

Historical Context and Urban Legends

The hosts delve into the origins of the Taured man story, identifying it primarily as an urban legend originating from a 1981 publication, Directory of Possibilities. They trace parallels to similar historical accounts, such as:

• 1851 Germany: A man claims to be from Laxeria, a non-existent country.
• 1905 Paris: A thief introduces himself as being from Lisbia, leading to confusion and eventual fraud charges.
• 2008 Japan: Larina Garcia experiences a reality shift, discovering her life has altered inexplicably.

Brian points out that such accounts share common themes of individuals appearing from places that don't exist in our reality, only to vanish under mysterious circumstances.

Parallel Universes and Temporal Anomalies

Introducing Professor Yamamoto—a fictional expert on temporal spatial anomalies—McLeod and Brian expand the narrative to suggest that these anomalies might indicate tears in the fabric between parallel universes. According to the professor's theory:

"Think of reality as pages in a book. Normally each page is separate, but sometimes the pages stick together, and in that brief moment, someone can slip from one page to another." ([16:59])

This explanation proposes that the man from Taured inadvertently slipped into our universe through such a tear, explaining his seamless appearance and sudden disappearance.

Hosts' Perspectives and Listener Engagement

Throughout the discussion, McLeod and Brian balance their viewpoints, acknowledging the allure and mystery of the story while critically examining its plausibility. They encourage listeners to share their thoughts and scientific insights via social media platforms like Instagram (@sightingspod) and Spotify comments.

"Please leave us a review on Apple as well. We would love that." ([38:58])

Conclusion and Teasers for Future Episodes

As the episode wraps up, the hosts summarize their leanings—Brian maintaining a skeptical approach due to the lack of hard evidence, and McLeod remaining open to the multiverse theory’s possibilities. They tease the next episode, promising another captivating story set in Russia involving ice skating ghosts, further cementing Sightings as a versatile platform exploring a wide range of supernatural and unexplained phenomena.

"Next week, right here on Sightings." ([39:07])

Notable Quotes

• Hiroshi Tanaka: "Maps define our world, separating one nation from another with invisible lines. But what happens when you encounter a traveler from somewhere that doesn't exist?" ([00:07] – [00:10])

• McLeod Andrews: "This is probably the most elaborate forgery I'd ever seen, or the most unexplainable event of my life." ([15:04])

• Professor Yamamoto: "Visitors from non-existent places, confused by their reception, then vanished without explanation." ([23:55])

• Brian Sigley: "It’s just such an interesting and compelling story." ([37:34])

Final Thoughts

"The Man From Nowhere: Japan, 1954" is a compelling episode that masterfully intertwines historical mystery with contemporary theories on parallel universes. By presenting a detailed narrative alongside a balanced discussion, McLeod Andrews and Brian Sigley invite listeners to ponder the thin lines between fact, fiction, and the unexplained. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this episode offers a thought-provoking exploration of one of Sightings' most intriguing stories.

Transcript

[McLeod Andrews]

Maps define our world, separating one nation.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

From another with invisible lines. But what happens when you encounter a traveler from somewhere that doesn't exist? When his map differs from yours and reality itself seems to bend around him? The greatest mysteries can be found not in the vast unknown, but in who's right here, standing directly in front of you.

[McLeod Andrews]

Welcome to Sightings, the series that takes you inside the world's most mysterious supernatural events. Each week, we bring you a thrilling story that puts you at the center of the action, followed by a discussion that dives into the accounts that inspired the story and our takes on them. I'm McLeod.

[Brian Sigley]

And I'm Brian. And before we dive into today's episode, we've got a little bit of housekeeping.

[McLeod Andrews]

Ooh, thank goodness. The floors in here are getting dirty. I'll go grab my broom.

[Brian Sigley]

Well, first of all, we want to thank everyone who's been listening to each new episode of Sightings and let you know. We are so appreciative for you joining us every single week as we dive into the unknown. We want to keep growing, though, even more. So do us a favor. If you're listening right now, pick up your phone. We know you're listening on your phone. Open up a text message and share this episode with a couple friends and.

[McLeod Andrews]

Leave us a review wherever you want to, but especially on Apple would be nice. Leave us a review on Apple. That'd be helpful because you can tell us what you love about the show, and sometimes we take it to heart. We've made adjustments based on what people.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Have to tell us.

[Brian Sigley]

Oh, absolutely. And we're gonna start sharing some of our favorite reviews in future episodes.

[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, we are?

[Brian Sigley]

We are.

[McLeod Andrews]

That's. I'm looking forward to that. Oh, also, a reminder that if you don't already, follow us on Instagram itingspod. Cause we post cool pictures and images related to each week's stories. You can kind of dig a little deeper on each one, and it's just a great way to join the conversation. Share your best skeptical gecko or believer beaver theories or ambivalent aardvark? Have we done that one yet?

[Brian Sigley]

Nope, that's a new one. We'll just add him to the stable.

[McLeod Andrews]

Add to our stable of animals and their belief systems.

[Brian Sigley]

Well, speaking of skeptical gecko and believer Beaver, though, we've actually gotten some fan art.

[McLeod Andrews]

What? No.

[Brian Sigley]

Yes. And it is absolutely incredible. We are gonna be putting it up on Instagram in the next few days. So again, go find us on Instagram. Itingspod. You gotta see the amazing believer Beaver and skeptical gecko that we have.

[McLeod Andrews]

And maybe now we'll finally have some skeptical gecko hats and T shirts coming on the horizon.

[Brian Sigley]

Maybe.

[McLeod Andrews]

Brian, can we do branded blankets?

[Brian Sigley]

O, that would be really a good idea, right?

[McLeod Andrews]

Why is this show all about blankets for me? I don't know.

[Brian Sigley]

But listeners, you know, we do want to get some merch going online. Just tell your friends about us, though. Keep growing the show and we're going to reach the point where we're able to do that very soon, I think.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Woo.

[McLeod Andrews]

Excitement.

[Brian Sigley]

Okay, so that should do it for housekeeping. So now we have to shift gears. McLeod, though, we got to get you back in the voice. The voice to introduce this week's giant mystery of a story.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay, I didn't realize I was doing a voice. What do you mean? What voice? Today's episode takes you to the fringes of reality where one man encounters another who may not be from our universe at all. Find out what happens on this episode of Sightings.

[Brian Sigley]

Hey, listeners, we're back from theme music and we don't want to be interrupting the early parts of our stories with any ads, so we're going to do one real quick right now. It's actually a good place to do it because we want to remind you that you should be listening to Sightings episodes with headphones.

[McLeod Andrews]

That's right. I actually just listened to one of our episodes on a pair of Raycon earbuds.

[Brian Sigley]

That's right, the ones that I got you.

[McLeod Andrews]

I've never sounded so beautiful.

[Brian Sigley]

That's right. Raycon's everyday earbuds are great. And I got them from my mom. If you remember, the last time we talked about Raycon, we got them for her. She loves them. I have a pair. I love them. McLeod has a pair. He loves them. And now you know what's coming up? Father's Day.

[McLeod Andrews]

That's right.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Dads.

[Brian Sigley]

It's a really good thing to get for your dad.

[McLeod Andrews]

Fathers. Padres, PA pas.

[Brian Sigley]

So this Father's Day, treat your dad to a pair of everyday earbuds by Raycon because he deserves to relax, recharge, enjoy his favorite music, Enjoy sight, enjoy McCloud's incredible voice.

[McLeod Andrews]

What I also love about my Raycons, aside from how beautiful I sound to myself, is the awareness mode. Just because I've got the kiddos and I don't like being closed off from them and they allow me to hear what's going on around me while I'm listening to myself.

[Brian Sigley]

So go to buyraycon.com sightings to get 15% off site wide.

[McLeod Andrews]

That's right. Raycon is offering up to 15% off site wide when you go to buyraycon.com sightings buyraycon.com sightings and now onto the story.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

My name is Hiroshi Tanaka. The date is July 7, 1954, and I'm recording this account because I am frankly not certain that the official report will capture everything that happened. Because some things I've learned are simply too strange for government documents. Regardless, I should state for the record that I am making this recording against protocol. If my superiors found it, I would likely face disciplinary actions. But I must document while details are fresh. And I must convince myself I haven't gone mad. I've worked as an immigration officer at Tokyo haneda Airport for 15 years. 15 years of passports, visas, and repeat questions. Purpose of visit Duration of stay. Early afternoon, JAL378 arrived from Paris. Passengers were mostly Japanese nationals, but there were a decent number of European businessmen and a few American military personnel. Everything was just standard procedure. Check documents, stamp passports, and send them on their way. Nothing unusual. Then he approached my counter. He was European, perhaps late 30s, and impeccably dressed in a tailored suit despite the heat. He carried a leather briefcase that looked expensive, and his demeanor was confident, like someone who had done this many times before. When he approached my counter, he greeted me in perfect Japanese. This wasn't uncommon for businessmen who frequently traveled here. But his accent was unusual. Not French, as I initially thought, but something I couldn't quite place. I asked for his passport, and he handed it over without hesitation. And that. That is when things began to get strange. The passport looked authentic in every way. The paper quality, the printing, the photography. All of it. Perfect. Normal. It had numerous stamps from countries all over the world, including several previous entries to Japan. But there was one problem. The country of issue was Taured. Though I've been doing this for many years, I must admit I'd never heard of such a place. So at first I assumed it was some new nation that had perhaps gained independence recently, or maybe a small principality I wasn't familiar with. So I asked the man where Taured was located. He looked at me like I was playing some kind of joke and told me it was between France and Spain. Of course, I thought perhaps I'd misheard him, or he misspoke. So I called over my superior, Matsuda San, and he confirmed what I suspected. There was no country called Taured. We asked the man to join us in a small interview room, and he seemed more amused than concerned, as if we were making some obvious mistake. We asked for additional information, which he provided without hesitation. A driver's license and business cards, all from a place called Taured. He also carried Japanese yen, French franc, and another currency. Bills that looked professionally printed, but which bore the insignia of the national bank of Taured. By this point, the man began growing agitated. So we brought out a world map and asked him to point to his country. And with absolute certainty, he pointed to an area between France and Spain, the place where Andorra should be. He said that this spot was Taurus and had been so for more than a thousand years. Matsuda san politely informed him that the country in that location was Andorra, and the man said that was absurd. He showed us his passport, his Japanese stamps, and said he'd traveled here from Taured no less than three times this year alone. But despite my seeing the stamps with my own eyes, it was impossible. How could a man have multiple entry stamps for a country that doesn't exist? Matsuda san decided we needed to check his story further, and the man reluctantly provided details of his visit. But when we called the Tokyo based company he claimed to have meetings with, they had no record of him. The hotel where he had a reservation had no booking under his name. Yet the man produced confirmation documents for both documents which, like his passport, appeared completely authentic. As we shared our findings with the man, he insisted we were playing some elaborate prank on him and demanded to stop speak with his country's embassy to clear up this quote, ridiculous misunderstanding. But of course, there is no Taured Embassy in Japan, or anywhere else for that matter. By this point, it was approaching evening, and we couldn't keep him in that small interview room indefinitely. So after consulting with security and immigration officials, the decision was made to house him in a room at the airport hotel overnight. While investigations continued, I volunteered to take the first shift guarding his room, as I was keen to observe the man further and perhaps get him to reveal the truth about his identity. And if I'm being honest, it was also because I was fascinated. Here was a man with immaculate documentation for a country that doesn't exist. It was either the most elaborate forgery I'd ever seen, or the most unexplainable event of my life. The man was given a room on the sixth floor. There were no balconies, just a window that overlooked a sheer drop to the concrete below. As I showed the man his room, he seemed to resign himself to his situation, asking only for a meal and some privacy. When I delivered his food to him, he reiterated his story with absolute conviction. As he did, I caught a glimpse of a newspaper on his desk, but not one I recognized. The text was in a language that looked like a mix of French and Spanish, but wasn't quite either. And though the date was yesterday's date, the headlines described global events I've never heard of. And a photo of a supposed American president, Fallon, who is very much not the American president, was featured on the front page. The man must have noticed I was staring at the paper and asked what was wrong. I didn't want to frighten him by denying facts in the newspaper that was sitting right in front of me, so I instead tried to keep things light. I asked him about his previous trips to Japan and what he enjoyed about the country. He described the airport's new East Wing, which was the most advanced he'd ever seen anywhere in the world. It was a shame, he said, that he hadn't flown into it this time. Except, I thought, there is no East Wing at this airport. Plans were drawn up, yes, but were scrapped last year due to budget constraints. But every detail he mentioned exactly matched the plans I'd seen. Thinking he was confused or deliberately trying to mislead us, I quietly excused myself. But as I turned to go, he called out, and as I turned back, he stared at me, pleading silently for all of this to be over. Later, I stood outside his door in silence. I wondered what all of it meant. Was he a spy? A con man? But then, what would be the purpose of inventing an entire country? And how did he create such convincing documentation? The passports, the itineraries, the newspaper. I was pondering all of this when Sato, my colleague, stopped by to ask if I wanted coffee. I did, so he left to grab a cup. And that's when I heard a strange electrical humming coming from the torrid man's room. I knocked, but there was no answer. The sound was getting louder, and I noted an odd light flickering under the door. Not a normal electric light, but a greenish blue glow that pulsed in time with the hum. I used my key to enter, and I found the room completely empty. The man was gone. His briefcase was gone. His luggage was gone. It was impossible. The window was still locked from the inside, and there was no other exit. Even if the man had somehow gone out that window, it was six floors straight down to solid concrete. Sato returned with my coffee and immediately dropped it when he realized the man was gone, because, again, it was impossible. I was questioned extensively about what happened, and my superiors think I'm either incompetent or complicit. In his escape. But I know what I saw. Or rather, what I didn't see. There was no way out of that room. So where did he go? The mystery weighs on me, and I fear it will ultimately be my undoing. The airport director is furious the government has been notified. It's all becoming a diplomatic incident, though with which country I can't tell you. That is why I suspect little of what I've said here will appear in the official report. And when I arrive for my shift this afternoon, I'm not sure I will still have a job. But I will get to the bottom of this. That I know.

[Brian Sigley]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

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[Brian Sigley]

Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.

[Narrator]

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[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Today is July 16, just over a week since the incident with the man from Taured, and I'm making this recording because I fear I might not have much time left. As I expected, I was suspended from my position at Haneda Airport. Administrative leave, they called it. But we know what that means. I was told to stay at home, forget what I saw, and most importantly, to stop asking questions. But how could I? How could anyone? A man doesn't simply vanish from a locked room on the sixth floor of a hotel, taking all his belongings with him without being seen. And an unknown country called Taured doesn't simply appear on forged documents of remarkable quality like I saw that day. So I began investigating on my own. My first step was to return to the airport, not as an employee, but as a civilian. I still had friends there, including Sato, who brought me coffee that night. We met at a small cafe near the terminal, and though he smiled when he saw me, I noticed he was constantly looking over his shoulder during our conversation. He said very little had been put into the official reports and that the entire incident was being handled by someone much higher up than us. But there was one thing he thought I should know. Apparently, the airport's electrical systems experienced unusual surges on that day, particularly around the time the man from Taured disappeared. I asked if there was any record of these anomalies, and Sato slid a folded paper across the table. It was a memo reporting impossible power surges at precisely 10:38pm the exact moment I heard that strange humming from the man's room. This wasn't coincidence. It was evidence. My next this lead came from a rather unexpected source. Three days after my suspension, I received a phone call from an elderly man who identified himself only as Professor Yamamoto. He refused to say how he got my phone number, but he knew about the Taured man and insisted we meet immediately. I agreed, of course. What choice did I have? When I arrived at his apartment, I found a frail man with thick glasses and hands that trembled as he poured tea. Then, out of nowhere, he told me I wasn't the first. Unsure of what he meant, I asked for elaboration, and he proceeded to tell me about his research into what he called temporal spatial anomalies. For decades, he claimed, there had been reports of people appearing in Japan who seemed to come from places that didn't exist. Usually they were detained briefly, then deported, or simply disappeared back to wherever they came from. In 1932, he told me, a woman arrived in Kyoto claiming to be from a country called Luan, which was apparently located in what we know as Mongolia. Her documentation was perfect, but her country did not exist. She was detained for three days before disappearing from a locked room. Of course, this account was never made public, but the professor had collected dozens of such anomalies dating back to the Meiji era. Some were mere rumors, but others were documented by police reports that were quickly suppressed. All, he said, followed the same pattern. Visitors from non existent places, confused by their reception, then vanished without explanation. What I experienced, he concluded, was not a hoax or a security breach. It was a tear in the fabric between worlds. I nearly dropped my tea. This sounded like something from a science fiction novel, but the professor was serious and explained his theory of parallel universes. Worlds that developed along different historical paths but occasionally intersected with our own. He told me to think of reality as pages in a book. Normally each page is separate, but sometimes the pages stick together, and in that brief moment, someone can slip from one page to another. So for these travelers, these countries do exist. In their world, Taured is real. There, in the place we have Andorra. To the man from Taured, it was I who made no sense, denying the existence of his homeland. As I left the Professor Spencer's apartment, he pressed a small device into my hand. It looked like a compass, but instead of pointing north, its needle quivered erratically. He said that it measured electromagnetic fluctuations and that if I experienced anything unusual, I should watch the needle. It just might save my life, he said. I wasn't sure of what to make of all of it, but I took the device anyway. And I'm grateful I did, because just two days days later, I revisited the room the man from Taured had stayed in. It had been occupied by other guests since then, of course, but I managed to convince the cleaning staff to let me in. During a changeover period, the room looked exactly as I remembered. But as I stood by the window, the device in my pocket began to vibrate. And then I felt it, a static charge in the air. I heard that same electrical hum I'd heard that night. The man disappeared. The lights flickered, and for just a moment, so brief I might have imagined it, the room changed around me. The furniture shifted position. The color of the walls darkened. Then, as quickly as it came, the phenomenon passed. The needle on the device settled, and soon it Was as if nothing had happened at all. But I know what I saw. This morning I received another call from Professor Yamamoto. His voice was urgent. Frightened. He said he'd been measuring unprecedented electromagnetic activity across Tokyo. Something is coming, he warned. Something big. I went to the professor's apartment as soon as I could, but found the door unlocked and the place empty. Physically empty, with all his research, furniture, everything gone. As I stared in at the blank space, a man approached. He said he was the building manager and asked if I was interested in the apartment. When I mentioned Professor Yamamoto, he insisted that no one by that name had ever lived there. In fact, no one had lived there for more than six months. That was two hours ago. I came home to record this immediately, since I'm starting to question my own sanity. Am I just imagining things? Or is reality itself becoming unstable around me? The device the professor gave me hasn't stopped vibrating since I left his apartment. The needle spins constantly. And as I'm sitting here now, I've noticed the lights flicker every few seconds for the last minute or so. And perhaps it's just a trick of the eye, but my walls seem to be shifting somehow, becoming transparent in place, showing glimpses of another room that isn't mine. And that hum. That same hum. You hear it, right? I think I understand what happened to the Taured man. He didn't escape from that hotel room. He simply went home. The door between worlds opened again and he stepped through, possibly without even realizing what was happening. And now I think that same door is opening for me. There's a newspaper on my table that wasn't there a moment ago with headlines of events I've never heard of. So if this is still recording, this is Hiroshi tanaka. This is July 16th, 1954, and I'm here.

[Brian Sigley]

Sightings will be back just after this.

[Narrator]

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[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Yes.

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[McLeod Andrews]

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[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Switch upfront payment of $45 for three.

[Brian Sigley]

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[McLeod Andrews]

Welcome back to Sightings and boy, was that a departure for us. That seems to be our first multiverse story that was neither ghouls nor monsters nor aliens. That was some sci fi stuff.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah.

[McLeod Andrews]

That's new territory for us and I gotta say I'm excited to dive in.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah. I thought it still fit kind of the Sightings mold because it was still an encounter that someone had that was weird and unexplainable and not everything has to be monsters and aliens.

[McLeod Andrews]

I'm glad you thought so because I'm excited to explore that. I think, you know, we're a big tent.

[Brian Sigley]

Absolutely. And it probably helps that I kind of personally love multiverse stuff.

[McLeod Andrews]

I mean, certainly reputable scientists have theorized it's possible. Yeah. I do think kind of in keeping with our show, the notion that you could slip out of yours is a pretty terrifying notion. So, you know, so this guy, I mean.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah.

[McLeod Andrews]

Like, can you imagine how frightened he must have ended up being? Like just like the kind of pit of your stomach dropping like the world isn't right.

[Brian Sigley]

Well, once you realize the world isn't being, it's almost like a game of Candid Camera.

[McLeod Andrews]

I remember this is a tangent a little bit, but when I did a movie called they Look Like People and played a character struggling with kind of his conception of reality. As we got deep into the process, I had this dream where, you know how dream reality shifts and changes and like you just find yourself in a new place or whatever, it was as if within this dream, people around me started holding me accountable for all the shifts and changes.

[Brian Sigley]

Oh, wow.

[McLeod Andrews]

And I started going up to people in the dream and being like, hey, I'm sorry, I'm not sure if this is real or. But like within the dream, like the foundation of my understanding of what was happening was like completely crumbling and like. Like the. So anyway, I. That's the closest I can get to like imagining what it must have felt like for this gentleman. What was his name? Did we have a name?

[Brian Sigley]

No, no, no name.

[McLeod Andrews]

No name. And where was the country?

[Brian Sigley]

It was between France and Spain. Theoretically in a place where Andorra sits right now. Now it's okay if you don't know where Andorra is. I'd never heard of this country.

[McLeod Andrews]

I have to admit I don't.

[Brian Sigley]

It's the 179th largest country. So it's tiny. There's only 87,000 people who live there, but it's a tiny place.

[McLeod Andrews]

So in our story, in our version of the man from Taured, there's like flashing lights and just he's gone. And there's a newspaper and it's almost as if like a wormhole. It feels kind of fantastical. Is that your spin or is this aspects of the account of what's known about this story?

[Brian Sigley]

It's a little bit of a hybrid. The known account is kind of the first half of the story where immigration officers at Tokyo haneda Airport in 1954 encounter this man who claims he's from Taured. He has all of these documents, business cards, appointments, and claims to work from a company that doesn't actually exist in our reality. He has hotel reservations that don't exist in our reality. He has meetings with a company who has no idea who he is. That kind of thing. They do take him up and put him in a hotel room on the sixth floor and he vanishes in the middle of the night. So that is kind of the foundation that I had to work from with this. But of course on top of that I laid on a little bit more of the fantastical sci fi, like the humming and the lights and.

[McLeod Andrews]

But the core details are in accordance with the story?

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Pretty much.

[Brian Sigley]

Yes, absolutely. But I had to give that to all the lens of the character you read, Hiroshi, who was a made up person, because we don't know who any of the. The immigration officers because there's no like written report of this thing.

[McLeod Andrews]

So I assume there's no pictures, I guess. Also it was the 50s, right. So cameras were not like you didn't just pop them out of your pocket.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah. There's no security cameras, for instance.

[McLeod Andrews]

So if there's no documentation, what's the provenance? Is this kind of like an urban legend that just kind of has been talked about, or is there a person who has gone on the record and talked about it?

[Brian Sigley]

It's a little bit urban legendy, but I think it's interesting that there's a lot of angles to talk about here because this isn't the only instance of kind of thing happening.

[McLeod Andrews]

Really.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah. The first one that I could find was in 1851. There was a man in Germany who showed up in this town and claimed he was from a country called Laxeria, which is not a place.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Laxeria.

[Brian Sigley]

I don't know what ended up happening to him, but that happened in 1851. In 1905, there was a thief in Paris who was caught by police. He says he was from a country called Lisbia. Now, the police think he might mean Lisbon, which is Lisboa in Portuguese, but the man doesn't know a lick of Portuguese, clearly is not from Portugal. So where is he from then? Even very recently, in 2008, there's this woman named Larina Garcia who woke up in the morning in her house and realized that nothing in her bedroom was right. Like, different sheets, she's wearing different clothes. None of it made sense to her. She went to work. None of her co workers knew who she was. Her job was different than it actually was, even though she worked at the same place. When she went home, she found that her partner was in fact the boyfriend she dumped six months ago, who had no. No knowledge of that. So it seems like she kind of slipped into our universe somehow, where everything is different than what she knew from her universe and she's been stuck here ever since.

[McLeod Andrews]

But like.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

But close.

[Brian Sigley]

And that's. I think the thing about these slips is that the man from Taured showed up here. If he was real and claimed he was from this country that was named Taured, but in our world, that country.

[McLeod Andrews]

Is Andorra, but is a country, it.

[Brian Sigley]

Just has a different name to him that doesn't exist in our world. So in my mind, maybe like a thousand years ago, Taured became my regional power or something like that. Still has the same boundaries, relative boundaries. So kind of diverged in a different way.

[McLeod Andrews]

Right.

[Brian Sigley]

And that's where he came from. Theoretically, I should say. No one can trace the origin of the story, though.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Okay.

[Brian Sigley]

The original written reference appears to have been a book called the Directory of possibilities, published in 1981. It only has one line that references this, so.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Wow.

[Brian Sigley]

I didn't read the book, but it seems to possibly be about multiverse type stuff because this is the One line that shows up in relation to this, and the line is, quote, and in 1954, a passport check in Japan is alleged to have produced a man with papers issued by the nation of Taured that said, in 1960 there was a newspaper article that tells the story of a man named John Zegrus. He showed up in Japan, apparently with a passport issued in this city called Tamanrasset, which was the capital of this country. That sounds vaguely similar to Taured. I don't remember if they spelled it Taured or not in the article.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay.

[Brian Sigley]

But in this case, the country was south of the Sahara and ultimately he was deemed a fraud.

[McLeod Andrews]

Deemed.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah. Ultimately this man was convicted of forgery or fraud or something and spent a year in Japan in jail for forging.

[McLeod Andrews]

I guess, a passport.

[Brian Sigley]

Y.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yes.

[Brian Sigley]

So, huh, that very well could be the origin of this, if it wasn't. Actually there was a man who appeared from this country, vanished into the night kind of thing. So since then, the story's kind of ebbed and flowed a little bit. Apparently it's kind of fodder on Japanese conspiracy and urban legend websites.

[McLeod Andrews]

I wonder what the. What, what about it gives it the staying power? What about like that? Like, how do people use the story? I guess, like the context in which speech for it.

[Brian Sigley]

If we're going to put on a skeptical gecko hat, maybe someone saw this article and they're like, oh, we had this man who forged a passport, claimed to be from this country that looks like Taured, basically. Wouldn't it be cool if Taured was actually a real country, you know, in his mind? And like, it kind of. And someone just kind of did a what if?

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah.

[Brian Sigley]

And the story kind of just took on a life of its own from there. And, you know, as the story iterated, maybe being passed around on message boards or something like that, it became a story of an interdimensional traveler who stumbled into our universe.

[Hiroshi Tanaka]

Yeah.

[Brian Sigley]

So I think that's. One theory is that this is just kind of an urban legend that took on a life of its own.

[McLeod Andrews]

My skeptical gecko version of things is just the world is rife with confusion and misinterpretation. And so it's not beyond belief for me that like one, somebody could be kind of trying to be cheeky, trying to. Trying to do something clever and kind of play around with people, forge a passport and just kind of see what happens. Or there was a genuine miscommunication of some sort and that then just got kind of a game of telephone expanded and misunderstood.

[Brian Sigley]

Interestingly. In relation to, like, this game of telephone or, like, just this story kind of evolving and where its provenance might have been, be it fraud or elsewhere, considering the times that this story seems to be rooted in, like, 1954, Japan. It was just after World War II came to an end, Japan was radically, you know, it was stripped of its empire. There was a lot of uncertainty about the future. I wonder if that atmosphere of uncertainty and confusion kind of could have bled over into this legend.

[McLeod Andrews]

But I guess now that you bring up the kind of, like, historical context or like, the time period, I can't exactly draw a perfect thread to, like, the why or the motive. But it makes it more conceivable to me that somebody would enter into a somewhat like, like, broken, chaotic country and try to pull a fast one of some kind.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah. So I guess to kind of sum this up in a weird way, as Believer Beaver, as I conceptually am, to the idea of a multiverse situation, because there's not enough hard evidence here to back this up, you know, if there was something real about the man from Taured, like, anything about him disappearing or about any of the elements of him being from a different country and not just faking it, since there's nothing there, I kind of have to fall on kind of the skeptical gecko on this one.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah, I mean, the Believer Beaver case is cool, and, you know, where I honestly end up falling. I think we all know what the Believer Beaver case is. I don't have to elaborate. It's just that this kind of happened and that it's possible. And I would love to actually hear from listeners who understand the physics of this stuff to just kind of, like, I don't know, try and educate us on string theory and multiple dimensionality and all that fun stuff, because it's hard to wrap one's head around where I genuinely fall. I can't say without a doubt this didn't happen because there is some sort of scientific basis for it. So I'd say I'm a skeptical agnostic about it.

[Brian Sigley]

But I think the thing that resonated with me with what you just said at the very beginning of what you just said there was, it's cool. And, you know, this multiverse stuff, it's a cool concept and a really cool story, which is why I think that that might be the simple reason that this kind of took hold and evolved over time is just because people are like, oh, this is awesome. You know, wouldn't this be neat if this happened? And I think that's why I wanted to do it on the show because it's just such an interesting and compelling story.

[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, yeah. And, like, the idea, the notion of, like, splintering realities and like, how often, like, I'd say multiple times a day. Most of us ask ourselves, what would my life be like if I had done this?

[Brian Sigley]

Absolutely.

[McLeod Andrews]

What would have been different if I had done that? You're driving to work and you realize kind of, oh, I kind of wasn't paying attention. And then you're like, what would have happened if I had crashed my car? Just take your pick of. I think we're constantly wondering about possibilities of ourselves.

[Brian Sigley]

And that's what's fascinating to me, is that maybe there is not a universe, but a multiverse in which all of those things exist where you did crash your car in one, you didn't in another. Yeah, yeah. So I think really cool ideas, really cool conversation. Listeners, we'd love to hear what you think about this one because it's pretty wild. Or if you want to school us on physics, please do. You know, you can find us on Instagram @sightingspod, or hit us up on Spotify in their comments. We read those.

[McLeod Andrews]

Or leave us a review on Apple. We check that, too.

[Brian Sigley]

Please leave us a review on Apple as well. We would love that.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay, so, Brian, what dimension are we slipping into next week?

[Brian Sigley]

We are slipping into a pretty trippy one, I'll give you that. We are going to be on a lake in Russia, and it is going to be an absolute trip. That's all I can really say without giving it away.

[McLeod Andrews]

A lake in Russia.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay. Ice skating.

[Brian Sigley]

It's going to be ice skating ghosts.

[McLeod Andrews]

Ice skating ghosts.

[Brian Sigley]

You guessed it. How did you do that, man?

[McLeod Andrews]

I'm good. You know, it's just all of these episodes, I'm really, like, honing my guesswork.

[Brian Sigley]

All right, well, listeners, we look forward to seeing you same time next week. Next week, right here on Sightings.

[McLeod Andrews]

See you then.

[Brian Sigley]

Sightings is hosted by McLeod Andrews and Brian Sigley. Produced by Brian Sigley, chase Kinzer and McLeod Andrews. Written by Brian Sigley. Music by Mitch Bain. Mixing and mastering by Pat Kicklater of Sundial Media. Artwork by Nuno Cernatos. For a list of this episode's sources, check out our website at SightingsPodcast. Sightings is presented by Reverb and Q Code. If you like the show, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you're first to hear new episodes every week. And if you know other Supernatural fans, tell them about us. We'd really appreciate it.

[Narrator]

I'm Dallas Taylor, host of 20,000 Hz, a lovingly crafted podcast about the amazing world of sound. From music and video games to science and history, the world of sound is full of great stories.

[Brian Sigley]

The TIE Fighter was made with a car passing by a microphone on wet pavement, and then layered on top of that are these elephant growls.

[Narrator]

You can choose between snares, you can.

Start chopping up the Amen break and.

Rearranging the individual beats into other configurations, and this barely scratches the surface. We've also revealed the hidden stories behind the most iconic sounds to ever be created to unlock your sonic world. Follow 20,000HZ right here in your podcast player.