Hakugei (白鯨, meaning ‘White Whale’) is a steel hybrid roller coaster at Nagashima Spa Land in Kuwana, Mie, Japan. Opened on March 28, 2019, it was the first Rocky Mountain Construction installation in Asia and remains Japan’s only hybrid coaster. Standing 55 m tall and reaching 107 km/h, it ranks among the country’s most extreme thrill rides.
The coaster was born from a major conversion of the park’s beloved White Cyclone, a wooden coaster that had operated since 1994. Rocky Mountain Construction replaced the wooden structure with their patented I-Box steel track, dramatically increasing height and speed while threading three inversions into the layout — a transformation that cost around ¥2.8 billion (approximately $26 million USD).
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Nagashima Spa Land
- Location: Kuwana, Mie, Japan
- Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction
- Opened: March 28, 2019
- Height: 55 m (180 ft)
- Top Speed: 107 km/h (66 mph)
- Length: 1,530 m (5,020 ft)
- Inversions: 3
The Ride Experience
Hakugei launches riders down an 80-degree near-vertical first drop before snapping through a series of over-banked turns, airtime hills, and three full inversions. The I-Box track delivers a glass-smooth ride despite the intensity, generating up to 4 G of force. Three trains, each seating 24 riders in a 2-across configuration with individual hydraulic lap bars, keep the line moving at a park-leading throughput.
The layout preserves the sprawling footprint of the original White Cyclone — 1,530 m of track that winds across the Nagashima peninsula — giving riders an unusually long two-and-a-half-minute journey packed with sustained ejector airtime between the inversions.
From White Cyclone to White Whale
White Cyclone opened in 1994 as one of the largest wooden coasters in Asia, built by Intamin. After more than two decades of operation it closed in January 2018, and Rocky Mountain Construction began the I-Box conversion that recycled much of the existing wooden support structure while replacing every inch of the ride’s track with steel.
The rename to Hakugei honored both the coaster’s pale steel aesthetic and Nagashima’s coastal setting on the shores of Ise Bay. S&S Worldwide handled the lift-hill and brake systems, while Sansei Technologies served as the local construction partner — a collaboration that set the template for RMC’s future projects in Japan.
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Hakugei FAQs
What does Hakugei mean in English?
Hakugei (白鯨) is Japanese for ‘White Whale,’ a name that references both the coaster’s gleaming white steel track and Herman Melville’s iconic novel Moby-Dick.
Is Hakugei the only hybrid coaster in Japan?
Yes. As of its opening in 2019, Hakugei is Japan’s only Rocky Mountain Construction hybrid coaster and the only I-Box conversion in the country.
What coaster did Hakugei replace?
Hakugei was converted from White Cyclone, an Intamin wooden roller coaster that operated at Nagashima Spa Land from 1994 until it closed in January 2018.
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Photo: Sakura Torch / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.