NISEKO KOGEN HIRAFU skiing area (existing NISEKO GRAND HIRAFU)
changes name of skiing area to “NISEKO HIRAFU skiing area” at the
time.) that started service of lift on Sunday, December 17 Japanese
National Railways (existing Hokkaido Railway) started service of
semi-express train NISEKO as train for skier on Saturday and Sunday a
week.
The 40th all-Japan ski championship Alpen competition that was a
chance to have lift on March 9, 1962 finally began. It was the memorable
first national convention that we did on the stage of HIRAFU which
occupied position that was important to history of Japanese ski till
then.
For short run-up, skiing area of HIRAFU served as heavy
responsibility of championship holding. However, after the championship
end, some problems were pointed out. The one was lack of the
accommodations in HIRAFU district. Most a great number of people of
hotel guest of HIRAFU district at that time did not reach 200 people.
For championship, seven farmhouses formed private home providing meals
and lodging hastily, but were not lodged championship all concerned.
Therefore many people stay at Kutchan city and will go to championship
meeting place.
Furthermore, traffic access to skiing area was undeveloped, too.
Maintenance and the snow removing of road of steep slope are
insufficient, and operated bus often stacks in those days. Scene that
passenger pushed bus with all the members was seen. Tomio Okawa who is
the eldest son of Manager Niseko Kogen Kanko Jinkichi Okawa Co., Ltd.
recollects such times when it lasted several years since the opening of
business with nostalgia.
At the time of “Snowstorm, bus cannot move just before skiing area”.
Passenger gets off bus with practiced state and overwhelms bus. When
bus begins to finally work, we leave passenger and go earlier.
(laughter) that handed ski which driver looked very sorry when
passenger caught up with bus which arrived, and was loaded onto bus to
passenger
