Ski areas from Japan’s past 過去の日本のスキー場を懐かしむ

Kita Kannabe

Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture

北神鍋スキー場　兵庫県豊岡市

Kita Kannabe was a ski area located in the Kannabe Kogen highland region of what was then Hidaka Town in the northern region of Hyogo Prefecture. In 2005, Hidaka became part of the new Toyooka City. Due to limited and sometimes conflicting information in various guidebooks, besides the general location and one ski lift, few details about Kita Kannabe ski area can be confirmed.

Further Information

  • There is a long history of skiing dating back to the 1920s in the highland area known as Kannabe Kogen 神鍋高原
    　
  • At one time, about 40 ski lifts were operating across 10 individual (and separate) ski areas in Kannabe Kogen
    　
  • It was a popular ski destination for people living in this region of western Japan
    　
  • In the 1990s, visitor numbers across the ski areas of the region rose to around 400,000 people in one season
    　
  • Since then, numbers started to decline, and in 2025, only three ski areas are still operating
    　
  • Kita Kannabe was one of the ski areas in the northerly region of Kannabe Kogen
    　
  • Details about Kita Kannabe are very difficult to confirm!
    　
  • It seems that there were two (or possibly three) short ski lifts, but only one can be seen on various old aerial photos (as shown above)
    　
  • The exact positioning of any second or third lift cannot be confirmed
    　
  • One Kita Kannabe lift could still seen on a course map diagram from the 2000 season
    　
  • Before the last of the Kita Kannabe lifts closed, it seems to have become part of the nearby Up Kannabe ski area アップかんなべスキー場
    　
  • In 2025, three ski areas in the Kannabe Kogen region remain operating; more information about those ski areas can be found on SnowJapan.com:

    Manba  万場スキー場
    Oku Kannabe  奥神鍋スキー場
    Up Kannabe  アップかんなべスキー場 (known as Kannabeyama 神鍋山スキー場 until around 1990)
    　
  • The seven ski areas from the past that are now closed are:

    Alpenrose アルペンローズスキー場 [more information]
    Kannabe Family     カンナベファミリースキー場
    Kita Kannabe     北神鍋スキー場 [this listing]
    Nashiki Kogen     名色高原スキー場 [more information]
    Ookayama     大岡山スキー場
    Sasano-o     ささの尾ゲレンデ
    Yamamiya     山宮スキー場
     
  • The remaining 4 ski areas will be added to SnowJapanHistory over the coming months
    　
  • Once all 10 listings are published, they will all be updated/connected
    　
  • Note: One guidebook mentions another 'very small ski area' with one short (single?) ski lift called 蘇武口スキー場, said to be close to the entrance of Manba Ski Area. Another guidebook describes 蘇武口 as being a part of Manba Ski Area
    　
  • No further details about 蘇武口 can currently be found, and it remains something of a mystery - including how to pronounce the name (maybe Sobuguchi)

Google Earth

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Google Maps

  • About 2.5km off Route 482, to the west of central Toyooka City and north-west of central Yabu City in Hyogo Prefecture

  • About 12km from the Hidaka Kannabe Kogen IC exit of the Kitakinki Toyooka Expressway

  • About 13km from Ebara Station on the Sanin Honsen line

  • 北近畿豊岡自動車道　日高神鍋高原ICから的12km

  • 山陰本線　江原駅から的13km

This page was created in April 2025
Last updated on 27th May 2025
2025年4月 作成 　2025年5月27日 更新