若菜高原滑雪場, Ski resort in Sekikawa, Japan.
Wakabuna Kogen was a ski resort in Niigata Prefecture with slopes spanning elevations between 150 and 580 meters. The mountain offered nine different courses with a total vertical drop of 430 meters for skiing.
The ski resort was established in 1987 and operated for more than three decades until closing in 2019. It reached its peak in 1996 with around 88,000 visitors in a single season.
The resort distributed its slopes according to skill levels, with half designated for beginners, thirty percent for intermediates, and twenty percent for advanced skiers.
The site was equipped with four lifts, including a quad chairlift and three rope tow systems to transport skiers across the slopes. The runs were sorted by difficulty level, with half reserved for beginner skiers.
After closing in 2019, the former ski area was designated for conversion into a wind power generation facility. The site's location in Niigata's wind-rich region makes it well-suited for renewable energy production.
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