SnowJapanHistory　スノージャパン ヒストリー
A look back at ski areas from Japan’s past 過去の日本のスキー場を懐かしむ

Urasa

Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture

浦佐スキー場　新潟県南魚沼市

Urasa was a ski area located in the northern region of Minamiuonuma City in Niigata Prefecture. It was just 1km from the central town area of Urasa and the Shinkansen Station. Urasa was only a small ski area but it was very well known in the Japan ski community due to the reputation of the ski school… people come from afar to take lessons and take the ‘badge test’ at Urasa. It first opened in 1958 and closed in 2011.

Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Opened
開設		 1958
Closed
 閉設		 2011
Base elevation
標高最低		 130m
Top elevation
標高最高		 300m
Vertical
標高差		 170m
Steepest slope
最大斜度		 30°
Number of courses
コース本数		 8
Longest run
最長滑走距離		 1,200m
Skill level
初級・中級・上級		 30% beginner
40% intermediate
30% advanced
Ski / board
スキー・ボード		 97% / 3% [2001]
95% / 5% [2002]
Ski lifts
リフト本数		 5 lifts (at one time)
Pair 447m
Pair 447m
Single 446m
Single ?
Simple lift 150m
All lifts have been removed
Night skiing
ナイター設備		 There was night skiing at Urasa

Photographs

Taken in April 2020
写真撮影：2020年4月

Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）

A walk up Urasa

Taken in October 2020
写真撮影：2020年10月

Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）
Urasa Ski Area（浦佐スキー場）

Further Information

  • Urasa was home to a very famous ski school
    　
  • The ski school first opened in 1960
    　
  • It was known throughout Japan and people visited Urasa to take lessons and 'badge tests'
    　
  • The three main ski lifts all took the same route, effectively running in parallel from base to the top
    　
  • The simple lift (t-bar?) was in the top area on the other side of the top building
    　
  • At one time there was also a single lift across the top area of Urasa, just behind the night skiing floodlights
    　
  • That single lift was definitely operating in 1988, but it had disappeared from the course map in a 1996 guide book
    　
  • (Thanks to the Niigata resident who got in touch with information about that lift)
    　
  • A large slope collapse incident took place on the lower area of Urasa on 18th March 1966
    　
  • Very sadly it took the lives of two ski area employees and a number of visiting students when the base ski lodge building was crushed
    　
  • A bronze statue  銅像  stands as a memorial to the incident in the middle of the ski area
    　
  • The kanji for cenotaph  慰霊碑  - irei-hi - can be seen on the front of the base tower
    　
  • The course going past the memorial was named after it - the Dozo waki course  銅像脇コース... literally 'course by the side of the bronze statue'
    　
  • Urasa Ski Area closed after the 2010-2011 season due to a decreasing number of visitors, shortening seasons because of decreasing snowfall, and increasing difficulties covering operating costs
    　
  • The ski lifts have been removed but many floodlights for night skiing remain in place across the slopes
    　
  • The large building at the top remains in place, though in an apparently abandoned state
    　
  • A small building also remains in the base area with 'LIFT' written in English and 'Lift Centre' in Japanese  リフトセンター on the side
    　
  • Close to that lift building is a sign showing the course map
    　
  • The Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train line  上越新幹線  connecting Omiya and Niigata opened in 1982 and included a stop at the newly-expanded Urasa Station  浦佐駅　

Google Earth

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Location
所在地

Located by the side of Route 17, close to the central town area of Urasa.
Just under 4km from the Yamato Smart IC exit of the Kanetsu Expressway.
About 1km from Urasa Station on the Joetsu Shinkansen and Joetsu local line.
関越自動車道　大和スマートICから的4km
上越新幹線　上越線　浦佐駅から的1km

Currently operating ski & snowboard resorts in the region
近隣の運営中のスキー場

Itsukamachi 　五日町　6km
Hakkai Sanroku 　八海山麓　6.5km
Koide 　小出　9km
Muikamachi Hakkaisan 　六日町八海山　15km
All currently operating ski areas in Niigata Prefecture

This page was created in May 2020
Last updated on 11th August 2022
2020年5月 作成 　2022年8月11日 更新