On February 21, 2023, a mysterious metal ball on Japan’s Pacific shoreline sparked a flurry of speculations among the local residents, police, and military officials. The rusty, orange-tinted, giant ball with a diameter of about 1.5 meters was discovered at Enshuhama Beach, situated near the city of Hamamatsu on Japan’s Pacific coast. When the TV footage became viral, it also became fodder for discussion among social media users.

The Discovery of the Mysterious Metal Ball Baffled Local Residents in Japan

Dubbed “Godzilla Egg,” a local resident spotted the large ball washed ashore on Enshuhama Beach and reported it to the police. The other residents were quite scared and confused to see this unidentified object and feared for their safety.

【動画】海岸に謎の鉄球？

静岡県浜松市の遠州浜海岸に
直径１点５メートルほどの
金属製の球体が
打ち上げられているのが
見つかりました

警察が調べたところ
爆発の危険性はありませんが
どのような物かは詳しく
わかっていないということです pic.twitter.com/M8qpnfdWWy

— NHK静岡放送局 (@nhk_shizuoka_) February 21, 2023

Upon receiving the information about this mysterious ball, the local police immediately reached the spot to examine the object. They feared that it could be a dangerous explosive and didn’t want to take any risk. The strange and suspicious discovery prompted the authorities to deploy a bomb squad. Taking public safety into account, the officers cordoned off an area of a 200-meter radius around the unidentified ball. The experts visited the spot immediately to examine the unknown object. Finally, the officials confirmed that it was not an explosive, so the possibility of the ball being a stray mine was dismissed.

Expert Investigations and Findings Revealed No Danger or Threat

Several photographs of the metal ball on Japan’s Pacific shoreline were taken and sent to self-defense forces and the Coast Guard for further examination. The authorities conducted an X-ray examination and found that the interior of this object was hollow. Furthermore, there was no indication that the unidentified object was a part of any espionage operation. So, even though the authorities couldn’t conclude where the ball originated from, they assured that it was not dangerous. The massive ball was ultimately removed from the beach. According to the local media reports, the authorities said that the ball would be stored for some time before it would be disposed of.

Interestingly, another local resident, a regular visitor to the beach every morning, claimed that the huge ball had been lying there for nearly a month! He also said even though he tried to push it, it wouldn’t budge as it was very heavy. He wondered why it had caught everyone’s attention only at this time.

The Giant Ball Became Fodder for Speculations

The TV footage of this ball went viral on social media. It gained worldwide attention and became fodder for various speculations based on its appearance. While some claimed it to be a dragon ball, others believed that it was an unidentified flying object (UFO), an object that had fallen from the sky.

The metal ball had two raised handles on its surface, indicating that it could be hooked onto something else. So, social media users contemplated it to be a mooring buoy that had become loose and floated to the shore.

Mark Inall, an oceanographer at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, insisted that he instantly knew that the sphere ball was a buoy. However, he also asserted that it is quite natural for people to confuse it with a mine as both objects have spikes sticking out of them. He further said that the buoys could float in the sea for decades, and this causes their marking to fade.

A mysterious metal ball spotted on a beach in Hamamatsu City this week prompted local police to scramble the bomb squad. A careful examination revealed it is not a threat — but shed no light on what it actually is. pic.twitter.com/ytClWsP0bw

— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) February 21, 2023

The intense reactions of the Japanese administration to this discovery can be attributed to suspicions of spotting several spy balloons over its territory in recent years. Consequently, the discovery of any unidentified object tends to raise suspicion due to potential security threats. It also sparks discussions and speculations domestically and globally.