Sportscom Urasa Kokusai Ski Area Closed

Sportscom Urasa Kokusai, formerly Urasa Kokusai Ski Area, stood in the Urasa district of Minamiuonuma, Niigata, close to Urasa Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen. At its peak it had four lifts and night skiing. With a shrinking, ageing population and more varied leisure choices, it ran at a loss and closed in 2006. The nearby Urasa Ski Area followed in 2011, and the local inns, close to 70 at their peak, have dwindled to a handful. The lifts and buildings have been removed.