Kanbayashi Ski & Snowboard Park Closed
Official name かんばやしスキー&スノーボードパーク · Formerly 上林温泉スキー場, かんばやしスノーボードパーク
Nagano · 779–1,041 m
Open 1921–2007
Kanbayashi Ski & Snowboard Park stood beside Kanbayashi Onsen in Yamanouchi, Nagano, on Route 292 below Shiga Kogen. A German couple skied here in 1913, making it the birthplace of skiing in the Shiga Kogen area, and the Kanbayashi ski ground opened in 1921, later adding a ski jump. Renamed several times, it became a snowboard-focused park and hosted the halfpipe event of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. Falling visitor numbers and poor snow led to its closure in January 2007; the lifts and buildings have been removed, and small monuments recall its history near the Jigokudani snow monkey park.
History of Kanbayashi Ski & Snowboard Park
- Opened
- 1921
- Closed
- 2007
- Formerly
- 上林スキー場, 上林温泉スキー場, かんばやしスノーボードパーク
- Why it closed
- Falling visitor numbers, competition from large ski areas nearby, and lack of snow
- The site today
- Lifts and facilities removed; monuments such as one marking the birthplace of skiing in Shiga Kogen remain.