103 replies to this topic

[Mick Rich]

& just imagine how she felt when she saw it was a gaijin!!

[muikabochi]

Oops I forgot this one

[grungy-gonads]

Awesome stuff.

Those lifts look 'hairy' in more than one way!

[rach]

That was really interesting, muikabochi, and great images as well.
Looks really weird with all those collapsed buildings up there, looks like a half-dead but still open walking wounded skijo!
Would be interesting to hear more of the story.

[Chriselle]

Love the pics Muika. The theme fits the scenery. Looks like WWII era photos.

You can almost hear.....Carpe.....Carpe Diem, boys........coming from the derelect buildings... ala Dead Poets.

Spooky.

[Winter Vacation]

Nice photos.

Shame, don't think there'd be any way I'd be able to find this place.

[echineko]

It looks deserted.
I never heard of it but I know neighbouring bigger place.

[TubbyBeaverinho]

 muikabochi, on 16 January 2012 - 08:27 AM, said:

Having to wake up the ticket office lady from her sleep just cracked me up the most.

can you imagine the surprise oin her face after waking her up for an SJ gathering there and her being confronted by a number of Gaij!!

[ILoveZao]

Really found that to be interesting muikabochi.
There are I imagine still a fair few of places like this hanging on.
A sad sight really and I am sure there are interesting stories behind each and every one.

[BagOfCrisps]

Omoshiroi.
Look forward to your next set, muikabochi-san.

[Pillar of the community]

Open but looking closed.
Can't imagine going to a ski resort and there being just 6 people there!

[SKI]

Great shots, muika.
Like someone else said there must be some very interesting tales to tell.

[Tazza]

Love the way you made all the photos look old too.

If they keep on losing lots of money, why or how do they keep opening?

[brit-gob]

 Mr Wiggles, on 15 January 2012 - 05:28 PM, said:

Could a tax writeoff or one of a variety of ways of getting local government .

How exactly does that work?
I can't understand how something like that can be justified.

[NECK]

Amazing photos!
Looks almost like a 'Haikyo' ski resort. Reminds me of a trip I took to 'Russian Village' in Niigata a while back.

[Mr Wiggles]

 brit-gob, on 18 January 2012 - 10:19 PM, said:

 Mr Wiggles, on 15 January 2012 - 05:28 PM, said:

Could a tax writeoff or one of a variety of ways of getting local government .

How exactly does that work?
I can't understand how something like that can be justified.

Corporation tax is very high so companies don't have much incentive to produce profits. With public money, there's very little accountability and you vote for "yoroshiku onegai shimasu" or "yoroshiku onegai shimasu". Running up debt also seems to be a national policy.

It would be nice to think there is some rich old benefactor stumping up to keep this place running for old time's sake. I doubt there is such a happy story though, and even if there were, such money could be spent far more productively.

[muikabochi]

I had to go over to Shiozawa today so took a few shots of the place from a distance



Downhill road course aside, you can pretty much see it all here

[Mick Rich]

Muika, you're spoiling us!!

[Metabo Oyaji]

Found an interesting history of the area written by someone who runs/ran one of the lodges below the gelaende.
Seems like the ski area first went bankrupt in 1976, and has been struggling ever since.
(Hence no upgrades to equipment.)
I suppose even a little income is better than none, so they continue.

Also seem to be (or have been) some back country tours organized from there.

[Mr Wiggles]

 Metabo Oyaji, on 19 January 2012 - 09:41 PM, said:

I suppose even a little income is better than none, so they continue.

If it were one old lady in a shop in a deserted shopping arcade, that would be understandable, but a ski resort with three lifts running and groomed runs is going to have high running costs. All that electricity, two staff a lift, snowclearing/grooming etc. Based on the photos, I won't assume much is spent on maintenance (!)