Takabisha, World's Steepest Rollercoaster, to Open in Japan

A new rollercoaster in a Japanese resort town beneath Mount Fuji has bragging rights: Over a little less than a half mile of track, the Takabisha features a bundle of twists and turns and the steepest vertical drop of any ride on earth.

According to the Daily Mail, the Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park is set to open the ride in mid-July, shortly before a host of woozy kids start throwing up all over the Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park. The $37 million ride drops about 130 feet at 121 degrees, which is damn close to freefall.

The current Guinness World Record holder for steepest rollercoaster is the Mumbo Jumbo in Malton, England, which has a 112 degree dip. The Jumbo last made headlines in 2010 when a minor mishap resulted in several riders dangling from one of its loops for 20 minutes.

The Takabisha, like the Mumbo Jumbo, will likely be dethroned fairly quickly. A theme park arms race has been ramping up over the last several years as engineers find innovative ways to restrain passengers and distribute the weight of massive tracks.

The Japanese, ever-willing to stomach all sorts of centrifugal indignities, are leading the charge. The country already has the Steel Dragon, which boasts the world's longest track, and the awesomely named Thunder Dolphin, which you sort of have to see to believe.