Chapter 3: Japan - a blackcrows original series

In the early 2000s, Japan had more than 700 ski resorts in operation. In recent times, that number has dropped to 447, leaving behind 200+ abandoned ski resorts that are often referred to as “ghost resorts”. It’s the topic of a recent short film from black crows skis, which sees team skiers Celeste Pomerantz and Daisuke Fukasawa explore some of these abandoned resorts, as well as interviews with three prominent figures in the Japanese ski industry.

“So where there is that boom there is a heightened demand, and waiting for an hour in the lift lines was completely normalized. It was crowded beyond belief. When that boom ended, people just stopped coming to the resorts. And the ski resorts were basically deserted.”

“As a skier that was a little painful. Honestly, it was downright sad.”