TAKAYAMA, Gifu Prefecture--A one-story wooden hut atop a mountain was where Japanese scientists huddled when they set out to study cosmic radiation in the 1950s. The high-altitude lodge is no more.

Here's a look at the development of the Japanese floating tank, what it could do, and what became of it. [Featured image by Imperial Japanese Navy via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled ...

"I've been preparing for climbing season all winter. I have no idea when my cottage can be reopened." Ichikawa Noriji manages the "Gonoike-goya" mountain hut at the ninth station on Mount Ontake.