Tuesday morning, Japanese officials cordoned off a beach to investigate a big, curious metal sphere of unknown origin.
A local citizen in Hamamatsu, a southern coastal city approximately 250 kilometers south of Tokyo, reported the “strange” ball to police just before 9 a.m., stating that “a giant round item washed up on the beach,” according to Asahi News.
The woman stated that her husband discovered the device on a weekend stroll.
According to authorities, the object is a sphere with a diameter of around 4 feet and is thought to be made of iron because it has a rusty patina.
Officers limited access within 655 feet of the object for the majority of the day, and bomb disposal teams were observed examining the ball.
According to Fuji News Network, the limits were relaxed at approximately 4:00 p.m. after an X-ray confirmed the device was hollow and posed no threat of explosion.
Vice News noticed that the gadget, which has a protrusion that would allow it to be attached to something, resembles a mooring buoy.
In the wake of the United States shooting down a Chinese spy balloon, followed by other unexplained objects, the unexpected sighting triggered a brief burst of TV attention and frantic social media discussion.
Japanese police say they will request that local officials in charge of coastal management retrieve the ball.
»Japanese authorities investigate strange sphere washed up on beach«