Dragon Ball, UFO, or buoy? Unidentified large ball on Japan coast causes concern | Mint

Local media reported that the sphere measures about 1.5 metres in diameter. It has been at the centre of fevered speculation since it washed up on Enshu beach in the city of Hamamatsu on the country’s Pacific coast.

Japanese broadcaster NHK showed footage of two officials on Enshuhama Beach looking at the rusty, metal sphere that appeared about 1.5m (4.9ft) wide.

Japan Police began inspecting the ball, which is orangey-brown with what appear to be darker patches of rust, after a local woman spotted it resting on the sand just metres from the shore while she was out for a walk earlier this week, Asahi TV reported.

Many have suspected that it is a buoy since it is known to be hollow-therefore not a threat. 

The find in coastal city Hamamatsu has been variously dubbed “Godzilla egg”, “mooring buoy” and “from outer space” by fascinated locals, according to BBC report. 

Officers have cordoned off the area and have called in explosives experts dressed in protective clothing to investigate further, but reports say authorities still don’t know what the sphere is or where it came from, Guardian reported. 

Local authorities have said the object will be removed soon.

There were suggestions it resembled something from the popular manga series Dragon Ball, while others believed it was a UFO that had fallen from the sky.

Japan separately expressed concern to China on Wednesday about suspected surveillance balloons spotted over its skies at least three times since 2019 – an allegation it first made last week. Beijing denies claims of espionage.

The two countries’ defence ministers met on Wednesday, in the first senior bilateral security dialogue in four years. Both sides agreed to work toward launching a communications hotline this spring.