UPDATE - Authorities investigate mystery sphere on Japanese beach

Authorities investigate mystery sphere on Japanese beach
By T.K. Randall
February 22, 2023 



Police investigators were concerned that it could be a bomb. Image Credit: Twitter / NHK
A mysterious metal sphere has been the focus of much speculation since it appeared on a beach in Hamamatsu.
Authorities in Japan have been left scratching their heads over the mystery of a peculiar metallic sphere that was spotted this week on Enshu beach on the country's Pacific coast.

When it was first reported, concerns were raised that it could be some sort of bomb, prompting police to call in explosives experts to investigate it for signs that it could be a threat.

Fortunately, X-ray scans of the object revealed that it was hollow, but the mystery surrounding exactly what it is and where it came from remains ongoing.

Measuring around 1.5 meters in diameter, the rusted orangey-brown sphere appears to be made of metal and has two handles on the top, suggesting that it may have been hooked onto something.

Images have since been sent to the coast guard and to the Japanese self-defence forces in an effort to identify what it could be.

According to one local man, the sphere had actually been there for a month and he was surprised that it had suddenly become the center of attention.

You can check out footage of the object in the news report below.



https://youtu.be/8fL9BBSusx4


THANKS TO: https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/364216/authorities-investigate-mystery-sphere-on-japanese-beach

Mysterious giant sphere that washed up on Japanese beach appears to have been identified

Rhiannon Ingle
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Published 13:16, 23 February 2023 GMT
| Last updated 9:25, 24 February 2023 GMT
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[*]Featured Image Credit: NHK World News
The mysterious giant sphere that washed ashore a beach in Japan might have finally been identified.
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Initial concerns were that the spherical object could pose a threat to the area after it was discovered on the shores of the Enshu beach in Hamamatsu City on Tuesday (21 February).

Japan was left totally baffled when a ginormous yellow iron ball washed up on the shore, leading to many speculations over what this mysterious object was and how it even got there in the first place.
Many locals were worried that the unusual object could have been dangerous and even explosive.



[*]Disposal squads were enlisted to the beach with worries the ball could have been a sea mine. Credit: REUTERS

Police prohibited people from coming near the ball while it was being investigated, putting up a 200 metre perimeter around the ball.
And concerns were so high that Japanese authorities even enlisted disposal squads to the shoreline on Tuesday (21 February), fearing that the ball could have been a sea mine.
One local resident told NHK News that he had no idea why all of a sudden everyone was so interested in the ball.
He revealed to the broadcaster: "It’s been there for a month.

"I tried to push it, but it wouldn’t budge."
And there have been plenty of theories online of what it could be.

Some likened it to a 'dragon ball' while others believed it could have been a UFO that plummeted from the sky. The BBC even dubbed the peculiar discovery a 'Godzilla egg' - but it was not.
Others were worried the discovery was far more threatening, with theories suggesting that it was some kind of surveillance device deployed by China and North Korea.

However, it is now believed that the ball could be nothing more than a common piece of marine equipment.
Local police were able to confirm through the X-rays that the sphere's interior appeared to be hollow.
It also has two raised handles on its surface, which indicates that it was once hooked on to something else.
The ball is also reported to have many similarities to a steel buoy manufactured by the Chinese shipbuilding company, Nantong Yangfan.


Credit: REUTERS


While the buoy on the Enshu beach is darker with brown patches of rust and debris - it looks like its original colour was a much brighter yellow.
The buoys are reported to be made in a similar size to the one found on the beach and they are used as a means of guiding mariners or to mark various locations in the ocean.
However, whatever the object might be, NHK News has confirmed that the spherical object is 'not a threat'.


MORE HERE: https://www.unilad.com/news/mysterious-giant-sphere-japanese-beach-identified-033848-20230223.amp.html?fr=operanews