Snow Park Unpenji Closed
Official name スノーパーク雲辺寺
Kagawa
Open 2001–2020
Snow Park Unpenji was Kagawa Prefecture's only ski area, set on the summit of Mt. Unpenji at about 920 m beside Unpenji, temple 66 of the Shikoku pilgrimage. Run by Shikoku Cable from 2001, it was unusual in that skiers rode the Unpenji Ropeway up from the valley. The small, gentle area had a 260 m main slope served by a triple chairlift, a children's slope with a conveyor, snowmaking and night lighting, and suited beginners. Warm winters cut the number of operating days, while snowmaking power costs rose and COVID-19 kept visitors away, and it closed in March 2020. The site is now Unpenji Summit Park, known for its sky swing, and the old snow machine is still used for snow-play events.
History of Snow Park Unpenji
- Opened
- 2001
- Closed
- 2020
- Operators
- Shikoku Cable (2001-2020)
- Why it closed
- Fewer operating days in warm winters, higher electricity costs for snowmaking, and fewer visitors during COVID-19 (visitors fell from about 26,000 in the first season to about 14,000 in 2020).
- The site today
- Unpenji Summit Park with the sky swing and photo frame; the remaining snowmaking machine is used for winter and summer snow-play events.