Okinawa: Japanese soldiers on Wednesday demonstrated a new explosion-proof container designed to safely remove unexploded US-made ordnance left over from World War II.

According to Anadolu Agency, the cylindrical container, which is approximately the size of a washing machine, was employed by Japan's Self-Defense Forces to safely defuse a shell in a town in Okinawa, a region known for intense combat during the war. The process involves placing the shell inside a wooden box, then into the container, sealing it, and covering it with a protective tent. After about five minutes, the protective tent is removed, and the defused shell is taken out.

A military spokeswoman noted that this procedure takes about 20 minutes longer than traditional methods but enhances safety and can be executed swiftly once a shell is detected. Since its introduction last year, the explosion-proof container has been utilized 25 times, though specific details of the device remain undisclosed for security reasons.

Unexploded ordnance from the 1945 Battle of Okinawa is frequently found across the island, especially in former battlefield sites and construction zones.