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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

Hirasan

Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture

比良山スキー場　滋賀県大津市

Hirasan was a ski area located in Otsu City in Shiga Prefecture. It was fairly close to the main road and Hira Station near the western shores of Lake Biwako, but an effort was required to get to the ski slopes higher up on the mountain. Riders on a single lift and a Ropeway lift and then a significant walk was required to get to the first ski lift.

Hirasan Ski Area（滋賀県比良山スキー場）
Opened
開設		 1962
Closed
 閉設		 March 2004
Base elevation
標高最低		 906m
Top elevation
標高最高		 1,095m
Vertical
標高差		 189m
Steepest slope
最大斜度		 32°
Number of courses
コース本数		 5
Longest run
最長滑走距離		 1,200m
Skill level
初級・中級・上級		 10% beginner
70% intermediate
20% advanced
Ski / board
スキー・ボード		 30% / 70% [2001]
Ski lifts
リフト本数		 3 lifts serviced the ski slopes
Ropeway* 1,260m
Pair 252m
Pair 661m
Single 463m
Single* 1,093m
The lifts and facilities have been removed
The Ropeway and single were required to get to the slopes
Night skiing
ナイター設備		 There was no night skiing

Further Information

  • Hirasan was fairly close to Biwako Lake  琵琶湖  but access to the slopes was a weak points
    　
  • There was not much of a car park... it was more like parking by the side of the road on the approach to the lifts
    　
  • To get to the ski slopes, visitors had to ride a single lift, a Ropeway.... and then walk for about 1,000m
    　
  • The first part of that journey was the Hira mountaineering lift  比良登山リフト
    　
  • At the time it was the longest of its kind in Japan at 1,093m
    　
  • That single lift connected with the 1,260m Ropeway lift
    　
  • The Ropeway originally had a capacity of 26 people
    　
  • In 1976 it was changed to hold a maximum of 31 people
    　
  • Once at the top of the Ropeway, visitors needed to walk over to the slopes past the Hira Lodge  比良ロッジ
    　
  • It seems to have been a fair walk too... some accounts say around 1,000m
    　
  • There were plans to expand the ski area in the mid 1980s but there was opposition to the plans
    　
  • The plans were eventually withdrawn
    　
  • There were various ski lift changes over time, with two pairs and one single lift servicing the slopes at the time of closing
    　
  • During the peak period over the 1980s, over 100,000 people visited in a season
    　
  • The ski lifts and facilities were removed between April 2006 and November 2007 and now there are almost no traces of the old facilities on the mountain
    　
  • A building and concrete foundation remains at the base area
    　
  • The Yakumogahara marshland  八雲ヶ原  area is where the base of the main ski slopes were
    　
  • Apparently that natural feature was partially damaged by the creation of the ski area

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Location
所在地

The base is located about 1.5km off Route 161 close to the western shores of Biwako Lake in Otsu CIty, Shiga Prefecture.
About 4km from Hira Station on the Kosei line.
湖西線　比良駅から的4km

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

Biwako Valley 　びわ湖バレー　8.5km
All currently operating ski areas in Shiga Prefecture

This page was created in July 2020
Last updated on 12th August 2022
2020年7月 作成　2022年8月12日 更新