Utsukushinokuni Ski Area Closed

Utsukushinokuni was a small ski area beside the Utsukushinokuni holiday-home estate in former Takeshi village, now part of Ueda in Nagano. Opened in 1986, it had a single chairlift and three runs on a north-facing slope, with the car park and rest house unusually placed at the top, so skiers started by skiing down and rode the lift back up. Some snowmaking was used. Mostly used by locals and estate residents, it last operated in 1998 and was formally abolished in 2009. The lift and buildings have been removed; trees now cover the slope and only a concrete foundation remains.