Japan’s fastest roller coaster closed for good over safety concerns, reports of broken bones

A record-breaking Japanese roller coaster that also gained notoriety for breaking thrill-seekers’ bones has been shut down for good.

The Do-Dodonpa ride at the Fuji-Q Highland theme park in Yamanashi prefecture had been suspended since August 2021 as officials from the transport ministry investigated reports from the local government of a series of injuries, including bone fractures in riders’ neck and chests.

The operator of the park had been looking for solutions to Do-Dodonpa’s problems, but on March 13 announced that safety concerns outweighed calls for the resumption of the ride.

“After repeated discussions with the manufacturer, we concluded that there is no concrete way to completely eliminate the risk of injury, the roller coaster running backwards or stopping in mid-ride,” the company said in a statement.

“In order to meet our obligations as a theme park to society and to make safety our top priority, we have made the decision to permanently cease operations of Do-Dodonpa.”

Park officials apologised to people who have called for the ride to reopen, as well as to the individuals who sustained injuries.

The first injury was reported in 2007, when a plastic component became detached and hit a passenger’s leg, although the injury was minor. The vast majority of complaints came after the ride underwent a significant upgrade in 2017.

When the first version of the roller coaster – then known as Dodonpa – opened in December 2001, it was billed as the fastest in the world, reaching a top speed of 172kph within 1.8 seconds from the start of the ride. The upgrade in 2017 that added a 49-metre vertical loop and raised the top speed to 180kph in 1.56 seconds from launch.

Between December 2020 and August 2021, 18 riders reported