Japan's space program triumph!

[Taro Toporific]

Unmanned airship makes world's 1st flight into stratosphere
(Kyodo / Aug 4, 2003)MITO, Japan - An unmanned airship filled with air and helium stands ready to be flown into the stratosphere at the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL) in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture on Aug. 4. ...successfully sent the airship into the stratosphere later in the day, marking the world's first such flight to ... an altitude of 16.4 km ..

[kurohinge1]

I spent a month "homestaying" with a lovely family in Hitachi in 84/85 - I felt like the only FG in the whole city at the time.

I remember going to see "Ghosbusters" & "Gremlins" at Mito - and laughing about 30 seconds before the locals read the "side-titles" & got the jokes.