A metal orb of unknown origin has washed up on a beach in Japan, prompting authorities to lock down the area to investigate.
A local woman reported the sphere to police on Tuesday, the Asahi News reported. The ball washed up on Enshu beach in the city of Hamamatsu, the agency said, and is described as an “iron ball” with a diameter of 1.5 meters. Authorities quickly restricted access to an area spanning a 200-meter radius while they investigated.
Asahi News noted that the object is rusty, hence the assumption that it is made of iron, and has a handle-like protrusion that would allow it to be attached to something else.
Fuji News Network (FNN) footage showed workers dressed in protective gear surrounding the object with equipment. According to the network, an X-ray scan revealed that it was hollow. Authorities determined there was no explosion risk and lifted the restrictions at 4 pm, but have yet to determine what it is, FNN reported.
Although nothing has been confirmed, the item resembles mooring buoys that are typically used as an alternative to anchors. These types of buoys usually have a metal casing. Still, commenters on social media have been speculating a lot about what the ball could be. It has been compared to spheres from various science fiction movies such as War of the Worlds and Godzilla.
Public interest in unidentified objects is at an all-time high after the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon this month and several other (at the time) unidentified objects.
But not all of these objects have extraterrestrial or even military ties: President Biden announced that the downed objects were actually drab research balloons. China also claimed that the alleged spy balloon was for civilian research only.
In all likelihood, the drama surrounding the nameless orb in Japan will come to an unspectacular conclusion.
