Explosive? ‘Godzilla egg’? Odd brown orb washes ashore in Japan and sets off mystery
Seashells, driftwood and seaweed are common sights while walking along a beach. A large brown ball? Not so much, but that’s what a man found washed ashore in Japan
The man was walking along Enshu Beach near Hamamatsu City when he spotted a big metal ball, TV Asahi reported. Two or three days later, his wife noticed something suspicious about the ball and reported it to police on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Concerned the orb might be a mine or explosive, police investigated, NHK World reported. They scanned the 5-foot-wide metal ball with an X-ray device and found it was hollow and not in danger of exploding, the outlet reported, citing police.
Still, police did not know what the object was, NHK World reported, sharing a video of the find on Twitter. The mystery prompted many speculations.
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
“Dinosaur egg,” one Twitter user commented on NHK’s video.
“Godzilla egg,” someone else commented.
“Dragon ball Z,” another person wrote.
One commenter did not even want to know what the object was. “I’ve already had enough ridiculousnesses for 2023, thank you. Push it back in the water,” they wrote.
Numerous people suggested the brown orb was a steel mooring buoy. These buoys are “specially designed for the mooring of vessels in the most economical way while protecting shorelines, natural habitats & other boats by giving those sailing or stationed an alternative anchoring point for all types of vessels,” one Twitter user explained.
Although officials have not confirmed this explanation, photos of mooring buoys, especially rusted ones, look very similar to the brown orb on Enshu Beach.
The Hamamatsu Civil Engineering Office will dispose of the metal ball, Chunichi Shimbun, a Japanese outlet, reported.
Hamamatsu City is about 155 miles southwest of Tokyo.
Google Translate was used to translate articles from NHK World, Asahi TV and Chunichi Shimbun.
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