Metal Sphere Washed Up On Beach In Japan

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Overview

Metal Sphere Washed Up On Beach In Japan refers to reports of a large, mysterious metal sphere that washed up on a beach in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan in late February 2023. The beach was closed on the day the sphere washed up but officials were initially unable to determine what it was. The news inspired memes online, including photoshops comparing it to things including a Godzilla egg. People also theorized what the ball could be, resulting in viral discussions across social media in the following days.

Background

On February 21st, 2023, the @nhk_shizuoka_ Twitter^[1] page posted a video of police investigating a reportedly 5-meter metal sphere that washed up on a beach in Enshuhama in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The tweet claims that there is no threat of explosion, but that police are unsure what the sphere is. The post gained over 9,800 likes and 3,500 retweets in a day (shown below).

【動画】海岸に謎の鉄球？

静岡県浜松市の遠州浜海岸に
直径１点５メートルほどの
金属製の球体が
打ち上げられているのが
見つかりました

警察が調べたところ
爆発の危険性はありませんが
どのような物かは詳しく
わかっていないということです pic.twitter.com/M8qpnfdWWy

— NHK静岡放送局 (@nhk_shizuoka_) February 21, 2023

Developments

In the following days, the sphere was reported on worldwide by various media outlets, including Vice,^[2] the New York Post^[3] and BBC,^[4] among many others.

Online Reactions

Memes / Theories

As the news spread, people online began posting memes about it, often comparing it to other spherical things like ships from Dragon Ball and Godzilla eggs. Some users also offered theories, such as Twitter user^[5] @10P8TRIOT, who suggested it was merely a mooring buoy. On February 22nd, 2023, Twitter^[6] user @OursmallecheL posted an edit of the video making the ball appear like a Dragon Ball ship, Vegeta rising from it, garnering over 1,200 likes in a day (shown below).