"Mysterious metal sphere" about 1.5m in diameter sitting on the coast, Hamamatsu in Shizuoka

 

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

海岸に直径約1.5m “謎の金属製の球体” 静岡 浜松

2023年2月21日 19時53分

 静岡県浜松市の海岸に「機雷のようなものがある」と警察に通報があり、爆発物処理班が出動しました。警察によりますと、見つかったのは直径が1.5メートルほどある金属製の球体で、中は空洞とみられ、爆発の危険性はないことが確認されました。球体が何なのかはまだ分かっていないということです。

 今月18日、浜松市西区の遠州浜海岸で、散歩していた人が海岸に鉄球のようなものがあるのに気付き、21日になって警察に「機雷のようなものが打ち上げられている」と通報しました。

 警察によりますと、海岸で見つかったのは直径が1.5メートルほどある金属製の球体で、警察は現場近くの道路や半径100メートルの範囲の立ち入りを規制したうえで、機動隊の爆発物処理班が出動して調べました。

警察によりますと、X線を使って調べたところ、中は空洞とみられ、爆発の危険性がないことが確認されたということで周辺の規制を解除しました。

この球体が何なのかは分かっていないということです。

 今後は海岸を管理する県がどのように撤去するか、関係機関と協議することにしています。

海岸に来ていた男性「1か月以上前からあった」

海岸にランニングに来ていた浜松市の50代の男性は「鉄球のようなものは1か月以上前から浜辺にありました。材質はおそらく鉄だと思います。近づいて手で押してみたこともありますが、重くて動きませんでした」と話していました。

Translation

Police received a report that there was something like a mine on the coast of Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and an explosive ordnance disposal team was dispatched. According to the police, what was found was a metal sphere with a diameter of about 1.5 meters, and it was confirmed that the inside was hollow and there was no danger of explosion. It was not yet known what the sphere was.

On the 18th of this month, a person taking a walk on the coast of Enshuhama in Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu City noticed something like an iron ball on the beach, and on the 21st he informed the police to say that, "Something like a mine was washed ashore."

According to the police, what was found on the beach was a metal sphere with a diameter of about 1.5 meters.  The police restricted access to roads near the scene and area within a radius of 100 meters, and the explosives disposal team of the riot police was dispatched to investigate.

According to the police, after examining it using X-rays, it was confirmed that the inside was hollow and there was no danger of explosion, so restriction on the surrounding area was lifted.

It was not yet known what this sphere was.

In the future, the prefecture that managed the coast would consult with related organizations on how to remove it.

A man who came to the beach - "It's been there for more than a month"

A man in his 50s from Hamamatsu City, who came to the beach to do running said, ``Something like an iron ball has been on the beach for more than a month. I think the material is probably iron. I approached it and tried to push it with my hand, but it was heavy and did not move."

              So, the Japanese police found something like a mine on the coast of Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka Prefecture. A few days later the Canadian military discovered Chinese spy buoys in the Arctic which might be used to monitor US submarines and melting ice sheets. This spy buoy looked like the one found in Hamamatsu city.