Thousands of vacationers attended the sold-out opening event in the Japanese city of Beppu last weekend. The innovative new attraction combines Japanese hot spring bathing culture with rollercoasters and rides of all sizes. It all started with a video project showing hot tub rollercoasters which inspired the city’s mayor, Yasuhiro Nagano, who said the fantasy would become a reality if the video got over a million hits, a figure it exceeded in just three days. The aquatic amusements were funded by voluntary contributions, and 75,000,000 yen, or about $677,000, has been pledged to date.