During any beach stroll, it’s worth keeping a look out for potential finds like driftwood, sea glass, and gorgeous shells.
But on Tuesday, visitors at Hamamatsu City’s Enshu Beach were perplexed by what the tide had brought in.
A local had found a huge ball and reported it to the authorities after it was quickly dubbed a “mystery orb” by the rest of the world.
Others speculated that it might be “Godzilla’s egg,” while others thought it might be a brand-new kind of “spy balloon.”
But it appears that the panic was a false alarm, and that the ‘mystery orb’ may be a piece of common marine equipment.
Experts say the big ball is similar to a steel buoy made by Chinese shipbuilding company Nantong Yangfan.
It use used to guide mariners or mark positions in the ocean.
According to local media, the object was around 1.5 metres in diameter and appeared to be rusted, which suggests it may be made out of iron.
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It is also equipped with a series of metallic handles.
After the orb was found, photographs had been sent to the Japanese self-defence forces and coast guard for further examination.
Bomb experts were even called to Enshu Beach to investigate the strange spherical shape.
The area had swiftly been evacuated as a result of the discovery.
Speaking to public broadcaster NHK, one local man who regularly runs on the beach said he did not understand why the ball had suddenly become the centre of attention.
‘It’s been there for a month,’ he told the outlet. ‘I tried to push it, but it wouldn’t budge.’
The news comes after American fighter jets shot down a number of ‘unidentified objects’ spotted in US and Canadian airspace over the past month.
President Biden revealed earlier last week that the objects shot down were in fact most likely humdrum research balloons.
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‘We don’t yet know exactly what these three objects were but nothing right now suggests they were related to China’s spy balloon program or that they were surveillance vehicles from any other country,’ Mr Biden said.
China has also claimed that the alleged spy balloon was merely meant for civilian research.