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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

Nanamaki

Nozawa Onsen Village, Nagano Prefecture

七巻スキー場 長野県野沢温泉村

Nanamaki was a ski area located in the Nanagamaki neighbourhood of Nozawa Onsen Village in the north-western region of Nagano Prefecture. It was to the north of the famous Nozawa Onsen ski area - less than 3km direct or just over 10km by road. Skiers would get off the train at nearby Kuwanagawa Station, take a ferry boat across Chikuma River and then walk about 1km to get to the ski hill. Nanamaki was the end point of a popular tour course coming down from the Uenotaira area of the Nozawa Onsen ski area. Nanamaki closed in 1982 and apart from the concrete foundations of the ski lift and base building, little evidence of the ski area remains.

Nanamaki Ski Area(七巻スキー場)
Opened
開設
1967
Closed
1982
Base elevation
標高最低
About 390m
Top elevation
標高最高
About 520m
Vertical
標高差
About 130m
Steepest slope
最大斜度
Unknown
Number of courses
コース本数
3
Longest run
最長滑走距離
1,200m
Skill level
初級・中級・上級
Unknown
Ski / board
スキー・ボード
Unknown
Ski lifts
リフト本数
1 lift
Single 500m
The lift has been removed
Concrete foundation remains
Night skiing
ナイター設備
There was no night skiing

Photographs

Taken in April 2021
写真撮影:2021年4月

Taken in April 2020
写真撮影:2020年4月 

Further Information

  • Nanamaki was located in the neighbourhood of Nozawa Onsen Village that is currently known as Nanagamaki  七ヶ巻
     
  • In some places the name of the ski area was written as Nanagamaki  七ヶ巻スキー場
     
  • However the ski area seems to have been officially known as just Nanamaki  七巻スキー場
     
  • As well as being a small independent ski area, for some people the slopes of Nanamaki acted as the last part of a ski tour course coming down from the Uenotaira area of the Nozawa Onsen ski area  「野沢温泉スキー場からのツアーコースの終点」
     
  • Nanamaki was famous as being a ski area that skiers got to by crossing a river in a simple ferry boat  渡し船に乗って向かうスキー場
     
  • People arrived at Kuwanagawa Station  桑名川駅  and walked across the road to the nearby ferry boat
     
  • The boat was pulled by a rope across Chikuma River  千曲川 
     
  • The Nanamaki ski lift is a further walk 1km (10-15 minute) walk uphill from that point
     
  • Respect!
     
  • Nanamaki opened in 1967 and closed in 1982
     
  • The concrete foundations of the ski lift and base building remain, but the ski slopes are now covered in trees and bushes
     
  • The landing area for the ferry boat by the side of the river (the place where the rope was attached) also still remains - see last photograph above
     
  • In the autumn of 1983 the ferry boat was swept away by a typhoon and the service was abolished that year
     
  • At the time when the ski area was open, a train from Tokyo to Kuwanagawa Station took about around 4 hours and cost 970 yen
     
  • Trains from Nagoya took about 4 hours and trains from Osaka took about 8 hours
     
  • During the winter months special express train services from Nagano Station stopped at Kuwanagawa Station for people visiting the ski area
     
  • A lift ticket for the 500m single ski lift cost 50 yen for one ride

Google Earth

Google Street View

Google Maps

 

Location
所在地

Less than 1km off Route 117 in the Nanagamaki neighbourhood of Nozawa Onsen Village.
About 25km from the Toyota Iiyama IC exit of the Joshinetsu Expressway.
Just over 2km from Kuwanagawa Station on the Iiyama line.
上信越自動車道 豊田飯山ICから的25km
飯山線 桑名川駅から的 1km

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

Togari Onsen  戸狩温泉 11km
Nozawa Onsen  野沢温泉 11km
Sakae Club  栄倶楽部 12km
All currently operating ski areas in Nagano Prefecture

This page was created in June 2020
Last updated on 12th August 2022
2020年6月 作成 2022年8月12日 更新