Takashi Osaki poses for a photo near the top of the roller coaster.

It's 8 a.m. on a sunny autumn morning at the amusement complex LaQua zone in Tokyo Dome City. Clad in a pair of overalls, gloves, sturdy safety shoes and a yellow hard hat, 31-year-old roller coaster operator Takashi Osaki is set to begin his day.

The roller coaster, Thunder Dolphin, lifts passengers 80 meters into the air and then plunges down a track at an 80-degree angle. The adrenaline-fueled ride lasts 90 seconds. The coaster reaches a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour.

Every morning, one of five coaster operators climbs to the top of the coaster to inspect the track before the ride opens at 10 a.m.

Like Spiderman, Osaki crawls up the lift hill looking for loose bolts and other problems. There is a walkway on the side of the track but he couldn't perform his inspection adequately if he used it. He is attached to the coaster by two safety lines.

``At first, my body used to ache all over because I was so tense,'' Osaki said. ``But, now, I am OK.''

The daily safety inspection of the lift hill usually takes 30 to 40 minutes. Finally reaching the top, he pushes a button on the walkway. If this button isn't pushed each morning, the Thunder Dolphin will not operate. It guarantees that the track has been inspected.

``Though the sky is hazy now, you can see Mount Fuji on a clear day,'' Osaki said. ``After climbing to the top, I like to take a break to enjoy the view.''

Meanwhile, far down below, Koji Tamura, an operations manager, was checking the track near the platform and the break zone.

``I used to climb, but it requires a lot of strength. Now, I leave that job to the younger workers,'' he said with a grin.

In the barn, three mechanics, who take care of all the park's attractions, were inspecting rollar coaster car wheels.

The old roller coaster wasn't particularly high and not very difficult to inspect. But when Osaki saw the Thunder Dolphin's towering pillars and nearly vertical track, he knew times had changed. A veteran, he has worked on various attractions for more than a decade.

Before the Thunder Dolphin carried its first passenger, the park employees vigorously discussed who would have to climb to the top to inspect the ride.

``We talked about it and decided it couldn't be an operator's task,'' he said with a laugh. ``But it was.''

Mechanics from the coaster manufacturer trained Osaki and the other operators for several weeks on how to inspect the circuit before the star attraction opened last year.

Because it's so high, wind can be a problem for the operators at the top. Osaki said there have been times when he's had to drop to all fours and hang on to the track. But, he says, the job has never scared him.

It's 9:30 a.m. Osaki has changed out of his overalls into a neat uniform and is ready to greet passengers. He is not very happy that after sweating his way up the tracks on hot summer days, there is never time to take a shower before changing clothes.

Finally, Thunder Dolphin, with Tamura and the mechanics aboard, makes two test runs. They use long-educated ears to listen for problems. After a final cleaning of the loading platform and the coaster's seats, everything is ready.

The nearby Ferris wheel starts to move at 10 a.m. A group of boys arrive at the Thunder Dolphin entrance. Osaki sends them up and on their way. Their screams echo throughout the park.

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THE FACTS

Korakuen amusement park opened in 1955. In 2003, Korakuen, now called Tokyo Dome City Attractions, was refurbished and combined with the leisure complex LaQua. Thunder Dolphin, the park's top ride, attracts as many as 5,000 people a day during the summer. There are 40 attraction operators. Coaster operators work two shifts covering the hours from 8 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Ten mechanics also work at the park. Tokyo Dome City (03-3817-6001) is a 5-minute walk from JR Suidobashi Station or a 1-minute walk from Korakuen subway station.(IHT/Asahi: November 13,2004)