Hot air balloon rides have long been popular with tourists in Japan's northern prefecture of Hokkaido. Soon there will be a balloon that will take travelers, literally, to the edge of space.

A local startup together with a major travel agency have begun signing up people wanting to float into the stratosphere to an altitude of 25 kilometers.

Their balloon, measuring about 40 meters in diameter, will have a two-person cabin made of specially developed plastic that's resistant to changes in temperatures and air pressure.

It will stay aloft for one hour, allowing riders to get a view of both earth and outer space at the same time before landing at sea.

The man behind the project says the high altitude travelers will not need any special training.

Iwaya Giken's president Iwaya Keisuke says "I want people to experience space the same way they feel when they go on a normal trip."

At a cost of about 180,000 dollars per person, the balloon rides will not be cheap. But the company says it hopes prices in the future will be more down to earth. It aims to launch its first balloon in December at the earliest.