Hirasan Ski Area Closed
Official name 比良山スキー場
Shiga
Open 1961–2004
Hirasan Ski Area was a mountaintop ski area on the slopes of Koyamanodake in the Hira Mountains above Lake Biwa, in Kita-Hira, now part of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture. Opened in 1961 by Hira Sakudo, it was reached by a lift and a ropeway from the foot of the mountain followed by a walk to the slopes. In its 1980s heyday it drew more than 100,000 skiers a season, but the long approach and a sharp fall in visitors after 2000 led to its closure on 31 March 2004.
History of Hirasan Ski Area
- Opened
- 1961
- Closed
- 2004
- Operators
- Hira Sakudo Co., Ltd. (1961-2004)
- Why it closed
- Poor access (lift, ropeway and a walk to reach the slopes) and a sharp drop in skiers after 2000; closed on 2004-03-31.