A technical glitch caused a roller coaster in Mie Prefecture to make an emergency stop Monday, the park's operator said.
The operator of Nagashima Spa Land in the city of Kuwana said seven people were riding the eight-seat roller coaster when its safety sensors were triggered, causing an emergency stop at around 10:55 a.m. Everyone on board was able to safely get off about 20 minutes later.
The park operator said one of the roller coasters' passenger pods failed to trigger a sensor as it passed, causing the management system to assume a pod was stopped on the track. The ride shut down immediately to avoid a potential collision.
The "Arashi" roller coaster, which made its debut on March 10, runs at a maximum speed of approximately 65 kph and goes as high as 34 meters above ground.
The park says on its website that passengers in tumbling seats can experience "riding in low gravity in a way that defies one's imagination."
The park opened in 1966 and boasts 12 roller coasters, the largest number for a single amusement park in Japan.