Do-Dodonpa - Fuji Q Highland - Japan

Do-Dodonpa (ド･ドドンパ) is an S&S Worldwide roller coaster, formerly known as Dodonpa (ドドンパ), located at Fuji-Q Highland in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan. The ride uses compressed air to launch its trains. This steel roller coaster made its debut on 21 December 2001, making headlines when it broke two records. On opening, it claimed the records of fastest roller coaster in the world, previously shared by Superman: The Escape and Tower of Terror, and the fastest acceleration in the world, with an acceleration from 0 to 180 kilometres per hour (0 to 112 mph) in 1.56 seconds, a record it still holds to this day. This record was previously held by another S&S Worldwide creation, Hypersonic XLC. Steel fabrication was provided by Intermountain Lift, Inc.


The 55 second ride takes the rider across 1,244 metres (4,081 ft) of steel tracks, and peaks at a maximum height of 49 metres (161 ft). Reaching top speeds of 180 kilometres per hour (112 mph) Dodonpa retained the title of world's fastest roller coaster for nearly a year and a half before Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster took it in May 2003. Previous to Dodonpa, only two other roller coasters had broken the 100 mph barrier; today, that number has risen to seven (including Dodonpa).

As for its main attraction, Dodonpa's accelerates from 0 to 180 kilometres per hour (0 to 112 mph), in 1.56 seconds, giving it an acceleration of 32 metres per second per second (6,300 ft/s/min), and up to 3.3 g. By comparison, astronauts only experience 3 g at liftoff, though for a substantially longer time than 1.56 seconds.

While it has been tested at speeds of up to 193 kilometres per hour (120 mph), its rubber tires prevent it from performing reliably at these speeds, so engineers capped the speed at 172 kilometres per hour (107 mph) prior to the ride's renovation.