Norikura Kogen Igaya Ski Area Closed
Official name 乗鞍高原いがやスキー場
Nagano
Open 1988–2011
Igaya was a small family ski area on the Norikura Kogen plateau in Matsumoto, Nagano, opened in 1988 by the former village of Azumi. It took its name from the champion skier Chiharu Igaya, who trained around here as a boy. A single pair chairlift served two gentle runs and a kids' park, so it suited first-timers and school groups better than the steeper lower slopes of neighbouring Norikura Kogen Onsen (now Mt. Norikura). Night skiing ran on Saturdays and over New Year until 2009. It stopped operating as its own ski area in March 2011, then served as Mt. Norikura's Snow Smile Area until it was shut in December 2013.
History of Norikura Kogen Igaya Ski Area
- Opened
- 1988
- Closed
- 2011
- Operators
- Azumi Village (opened it in 1988), Matsumoto City (decided in 2011 to end separate operation), Run as part of Mt. Norikura, the Snow Smile Area (2011-12 to 2013)
- Why it closed
- Matsumoto City ended its operation as a separate ski area after the 2010-11 season, expecting no growth in demand (Asahi Shimbun, 7 January 2011, cited by Wikipedia).
- The site today
- Closed since December 2013 as Mt. Norikura's Snow Smile Area (the former Igaya Ski Area).