Kuriyama
A town-run Hokkaido hill near Sapporo with its base at just 35 metres above sea level, closed in 2019 when the council balked at a 300 million yen repair bill.
- Region
- Hokkaido
- Country
- Japan
- Status
- closed
- Year opened
- 1971
- Year closed
- 2019
- Reason for closure
- The town decided not to reinvest in ageing facilities that would have needed around 300 million yen of required maintenance. A shrinking youth population and the number of other ski areas within easy reach made that spending impossible to justify. The last operating season was 2017-18.
History
Kuriyama (栗山スキー場) opened in 1971 in Kuriyama Town in Hokkaido, within easy reach of Sapporo. It was owned and run by the town and existed largely for local schools and residents rather than for visitors: a single 317 m chairlift, four courses rated 70 per cent beginner, a longest run of 750 m, and 75 m of vertical from a base at just 35 m above sea level to a top at 110 m - among the lowest-lying ski areas recorded in this dataset. Its last season was 2017-18. The decision that ended it was a municipal one: roughly 300 million yen would have been needed for essential maintenance on ageing equipment, and with the local youth population shrinking and plenty of other ski areas nearby, the town declined to spend it and confirmed closure in 2019. The lift and base lodge were still standing as of 2020 with plans for their removal. Course names are not compiled in accessible sources; the coordinates mark Kuriyama Town.
Lifts
| Name | Type | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed lift | Chairlift - Single | 317 m single chair, the only lift. Still standing as of 2020 along with the base lodge, both with plans for removal |
Sources and further reading
More in Japan
Location
43.0563, 141.7843