text: Japan's defence minister has been forced to assure MPs that the country has never been invaded by aliens. Speaking in parliament earlier today, Gen Nakatani promised lawmakers that there had been no alien breach of Japanese airspace, and that no government studies into extra-terrestrials were under way. Nakatani said the nation's war planes can be scrambled whenever there is a report of an unidentified flying object but, so far, they had not encountered visitors from space. ET no home: Defence Minister Gen Nakatani responded to questions from an MP about potential alien invasions, and assured parliament that Japan has never been invaded by extra-terrestrials . Nakatani addressed the 'alien question' after an enquiry from one of Japan's more flamboyant MPs - wrestler-turned-politician Antonio Inoki. 'When the Air Self Defence Force detects indications of an unidentified flying object that could violate our country's airspace, it scrambles fighter jets if necessary and makes visual observation,' he said. 'They sometimes find birds or flying objects other than aircraft but I don't know a case of finding an unidentified flying object believed to have come over from anywhere other than Earth,' he said. At a meeting Wednesday of the budget committee in Japan's upper house, Inoki had asked if aircraft were dispatched to meet extra-terrestrial visitors and 'whether studies aliens are going on'. Inoki, founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling, said he did not know whether or not aliens existed, but he had once seen a mysterious flying object rocket into the air on the horizon and disappear. No visitors: Nakatani told MPs there has been no violation of Japanese airspace by aliens, and that no government studies into extra-terrestrials were under way . Wednesday's exchange was not the first official Japanese pronouncement on spacemen and their aircraft. A 2007 statement said the government 'has not confirmed the existence of unidentified flying objects believed to have come from anywhere other than Earth'. But the statement, formally endorsed at a cabinet meeting at the time, prompted a surprise rebuttal from the top government spokesman. Nobutaka Machimura, chief cabinet secretary at the time, said: 'Personally, I absolutely believe they exist.' Then-defence minister Shigeru Ishiba also said that in his personal opinion there were 'no grounds' to deny that there are UFOs controlled by alien life-forms.
target: Japan's defence minister forced to answer questions about UFOs .
  Gen Nakatani told parliament 'no alien's have violate Japan's airspace'
  Came after MP asked if Japan was carrying out alien studies .