Let’s continue story that Nagae Katsuro recites. It is the times to the 1950s through the 1960s this time.

　In the land of HIRAFU skiing area, the top is national forest at
around 400 meters above sea level as border, and bottom is municipal
ownership place. It was company called MAGOME industry that German
capital was in before the war that owned the current municipal
ownership ground. After defeat, this land was managed as some
compensation to allied powers. Kucchancho starts activity to purchase
this land in 1949 and succeeds in the purchase in 1953. Area is 493
hectares. This land purchase allowed skiing area development to begin
before long.

　In January, 1959, Kutchan mayoral election was held. Takahashi
Seikichi which was Manager at Shiribeshi Subprefectural Office was
elected the town mayor. Town mayor of Takahashi pushed forward company
invitation and sightseeing promotion. There was plan that Toni Sailer
which was star of world alpine skiing world shot movie in Japan in
winter of 1959. Kucchancho invited the filming ground of movie.
However, we will take movie in Zao skiing area (Yamagata) with lift
institution. This was opportunity, and demand of townsman to want to
install lift in our town was strengthened more. Town mayor of Takahashi
succeeded in plywood production company, invitation of Hokkaido
fiberboard Co., Ltd., and it was the beginning of lift setting to
Hirafu. As a result, town mayor Takahashi realized both company
invitation and sightseeing promotion.

　In 1960, Kutchan bridge and HIRAFU bridge, two bridges became
permanent bridge. Because two bridges were completed, we became able to
carry heavy machine and material to mountain. The snow removing with
construction machine was enabled in winter. “SENNOKI OSAWA overpass”
across a certain valley was completed between KABAYAMA and YAMADA
district. Furthermore, in the same year, electricity runs Yamada
district. Kutchan Station was rebuilt, and it was 1960 that the
entrance of sightseeing was done. And Yamada Onsen of HIRAFU which
there was in national forest was transferred since the opening of
business of 1897 at the foot of a mountain in the autumn of 1961.
(Yamada Onsen was demolished in the autumn of 2010.)

　Nagae talks. Even if “one one of these events is missing, there was
lift setting in 1961, will not there be”? It may be said that it was
necessary event that lift appeared in HIRAFU with the history as place
skiiing for a long time at last.