Unraveling the Mystery of the 'Orb' Found on a Beach in Japan: Not a Godzilla Egg or Spy Balloon

Following the shooting down of a Chinese balloon above US airspace by US fighter planes, the unique finding received widespread media coverage.

According to a New York Times article, a massive metal ball that washed ashore on a beach in Japan on Tuesday may be a component of standard naval gear (NYT). Authorities and residents in Hamamatsu were alarmed by the rusty yellowish orb, which was roughly the size of a wrecking ball. Some thought it may be "Godzilla's egg," while others thought it was a surveillance balloon similar to the "spy balloon" that was sighted above the US earlier this month. A citizen at Enshu Beach found the ball and alerted the authorities.

After it was discovered, hazmat suits and helmeted authorities sealed off the area, which sparked curiosity about what the object was.

To look into the weird ball, bomb specialists were called to the shore. Thereafter, the area was cleared.

But, the authorities determined it was not an explosive after running an X-ray, according to the NYT story. It's a sizable chunk of scrap metal, they continued.

Hiroyuki Yagi, a representative of Shizuoka Prefecture's River and Coastal Management Bureau, told the source on Friday that "the ball is likely to be discarded ultimately."

However, according to Metro, nautical experts claimed the large ball is comparable to a steel buoy used to direct seafarers or mark locations in the water.

Japanese media said that the sphere had a diameter of roughly 1.5 meters.

Following the shooting down of a Chinese balloon above US airspace by US fighter planes, the unique finding received widespread media coverage.

Although China insisted that the balloon was only intended for civilian study, the US claimed it was a spy balloon.