Not a spy balloon, UFO or bomb: mysterious metal ball that washed up on Japanese coast would simply be a buoy from China | Abroad

According to The Daily Mail, there is no exciting story behind the mysterious iron ball, but it is merely a piece of material used by the navy. Shortly after the ball, which has a diameter of 1.5 meters, washed up on the beach of the Japanese coastal town of Hamamatsu, the police established a perimeter of 200 meters and experts launched an investigation. X-rays showed that the ball is hollow inside. The researchers could therefore quickly rule out that it was an explosive.

The ball bears a striking resemblance to an iron buoy produced by Chinese shipbuilding company Nantong Yangfan, according to The Daily Mail. The navy uses such a buoy to guide shippers and to mark certain positions at sea. The company itself, which is based in China’s coastal province of Jiangsu in eastern China, confirms that there is a possibility that the buoy may have come off and drifted east towards Japan.

The ball contains a metal handle, to which a rope is normally attached. The object has a faded yellow color and also has brown spots, which were probably caused by rust.

Shortly after the ball was found, it was quickly assumed that it was a spy object from China. Earlier this month, the United States shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon. China continues to deny that the balloon was used for espionage, claiming it was a weather balloon that had gone off course.

Earlier this month, an analysis by Japan’s Defense Ministry also found that three unidentified objects sighted in Japanese airspace in recent years were believed to be Chinese spy balloons.