Officials in Japan have cordoned off an area of Enshu Beach in Hamamatsu City after a metal sphere of unknown origin washed up on the shore.
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The ball, that has a diameter of 1.5 meters, was reported to the police by a local woman on Tuesday, according to a report by Asahi News.
The object is believed to be made of iron, is rusted and has a handle-like protrusion that would enable it to be hooked onto something else. Although the object closely resembles a mooring buoy, its true origins remain a mystery.
Officials restricted access to an area with a 200-meter radius around the object to investigate it.
Footage from Fuji News Network and NHK showed officials in protective gear examining the object with equipment. An X-ray scan later revealed that the object was hollow, and the restrictions were lifted at around 4pm local time.
Some social media users have speculated that it could be related to extra-terrestrial activity, while others have compared it to spheres from popular sci-fi films like War of the Worlds and Arrival.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Public interest in unidentified objects is at an all-time high after recent global incidents involving alleged spy balloons.
Despite this, the mystery surrounding the object continues to spark the imagination of many.
