TOKYO: A mysterious white balloon-like object was spotted by residents in northeastern Japan, which has captured national attention.
“The object looks like a balloon for monitoring weather, but it’s not ours,” an official at the Sendai Bureau of the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The official further informed, “We checked with the Sendai municipal government and the Self-Defense Forces, but they have no idea either.”
The balloon-like object was observed in Sendai and Fukushima Prefecture and a cross-shaped item, described by an agency official as resembling some type of observational equipment, could be seen hanging from the sphere.
Local police also flew a helicopter to confirm the presence of the object, traveling at more than 2,000 meters above the ground but have yet to determine its origin and identity.
“We just have to keep our eyes on where it’s going,” a police official said. The police lost the exact location of the object in the evening after clouds blocked them from tracking it.
The transport ministry’s office at Sendai airport said there had been no requests for flying an aerial vehicle as per aviation law. Kyushu University’s aeronautics department also denied the device belonged to them, after public speculation.
A debate has also started on social media after the video and pictures went viral. On Twitter, one user asked “Could it be a UFO?” while another said, “It looks like a hot-air balloon.”
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