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Do-Dodonpa closed

Projektion

Mega Poster
Dododonpa closed until further notice

Thank you for your continued patronage of Fuji-Q Highland.​

"Do Dodonpa" will be suspended for the time being from August 12, 2021 (Thursday) due to a safety overhaul.

At our attraction "Do Dodonpa", a total of 4 injuries have been reported by passengers who boarded between December 18, 2020 and August 12, 2021.
Currently, the causal relationship between injuries and amusement machines has not yet been confirmed.
We would like to express our deepest sympathies to the injured customers and cause a great deal of inconvenience to them, but we will endeavor to investigate the cause under the guidance of the government. Suspension

Cervical and Spine injuries according to Yahoo news

Fuji-Q Highland (Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture) announced on August 20 that four accidents involving injuries such as cervical vertebrae compression fractures had occurred from December last year to August this year at the Do-Dodompa large amusement facility. Normally, the accidents should be reported to Yamanashi Prefecture and other authorities immediately after they occur, but this time they were reported and announced eight months after the first accident.

According to Yamanashi Prefecture and Fuji-Q Highland, there were a total of four injury reports in December last year, May, July and August this year. They said that the injured person suffered cervical or thoracic spine injuries after the ride and went to the hospital, where it was found that the bones were broken.

Fujikyu Highland says there was no abnormality in the inspection on the day of the alleged injury, and that it has not been able to explain the causal relationship between the injury and the facility. However, the facility has been closed since the 12th of this month and has been under inspection for acceleration measurements.

Following this report, Yamanashi Prefecture and a national accident investigation panel will conduct an on-site investigation from the 21st. The prefectural government will provide guidance on the fact that the accident was not reported immediately after it occurred, and will also request that the operation of the facility be suspended until the cause of the accident is investigated and measures to prevent a recurrence are agreed.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
 

Matt N

CF Legend
Sorry to bump the thread, but Do-Dodonpa is still closed, and it would appear that more injuries have been discovered: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20211124/p2a/00m/0na/007000c

The total believed to have broken bones on Do-Dodonpa now sits at 12, and there are also 2 other people who may have gained injuries from the park’s other rides; a woman in her 20s discovered she had broken a rib shortly after visiting the park, while a woman in her 40s discovered a compressed lumbar fracture upon visiting the doctor shortly after going to the park.
 

Peter Immelmann

Mega Poster
Do you understand the reason for the fractures? I mean, from what I've heard the launch is pretty intense but how could that lead to spinal fractures and things alike? Very strange... However, hope everyone has recovered well.
 

Skyye

Mega Poster
I heard a possibility is that people might not be sitting correctly when the launch happens?

 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Just dug this out from my last trip report from there:

I said:
The launch is still incredible, but the rattle around the huge curve is so much worse than before. The replacement of the top hat with the loop is just criminal. Add to that the very uncomfortable new OTSRs (it used to have lapbars), which tighten as you hit that small downhill section after the launch and crush you for the rest of the ride, and you’re left with an absolute steaming turd. I’d be happier if they’d just ripped it out and built something new.
 

TPoseOnTantrum

Giga Poster
Exhuming this thread because why not...

Do-Dodonpa is still closed. However there's been some recent construction works underneath the ride and near the entrance, allegedly for a new plaza. How much this will factor into the coaster itself is unclear;

In unrelated news, the Rock'n Roll Duncan kiddy coaster will apparently be retired this week, perhaps for a replacement in 2024 as Thomas Land is going through a 25th anniversary celebration until then;
 

Lori Marie Loud

Giga Poster
Exhuming this thread because why not...

Do-Dodonpa is still closed. However there's been some recent construction works underneath the ride and near the entrance, allegedly for a new plaza. How much this will factor into the coaster itself is unclear;

In unrelated news, the Rock'n Roll Duncan kiddy coaster will apparently be retired this week, perhaps for a replacement in 2024 as Thomas Land is going through a 25th anniversary celebration until then;
Aww there goes the cute fun little kiddie thing I found out about back when I was UBER into Thomas and was like "WOOOW I never knew they had a rollercoaster themed around that episode where Duncan went off the tracks!!!"

Oh, and the new plaza's cool, too, I guess.
 

TPoseOnTantrum

Giga Poster

davidm

Strata Poster
Google Translate said:
Do Dodonpa Notice of Closing of Business
2024.03.13

Do Dodonpa has been under investigation by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Lift Accident Investigation Subcommittee since August 2021, and
by the Customer Safety Management Investigation Committee, a third-party committee of the Company, since September of the same year.
To date, there have been no complaints regarding the relevant laws and regulations or management/maintenance.
Please note that the Customer Safety Management Investigation Committee ended in March 2022.

While the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Lift Accident Investigation Subcommittee is currently investigating the cause and investigating and considering measures to prevent recurrence, we are currently considering ways to completely eliminate the risk of injury to customers and the risk of being stopped due to wrong-way driving, and to
ensure safe operation. Although we have had many discussions with the manufacturer, we have come to the conclusion that it is difficult to make this a reality, and
in order to fulfill our social responsibility as a company that puts safety first in operating an amusement park, we have decided to close down operations.

This model (including its predecessor) is Fuji-Q Highland's representative coaster, which has been used and supported by 9.3 million people since it opened in December 2001.
We have received requests from many customers to resume business, but we apologize for not being able to respond to them.
We would also like to express our deepest sympathies to the customers who were injured despite coming to the park.
We will continue to operate with the safety and security of all our customers as our top priority.
 

Projektion

Mega Poster
RIP

Still the source of one of my greatest roller-coaster related core memories. The shock of the launch was unreal. Sad to see it go.
 

MrRC

Mega Poster
 
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