2000 Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 1-10
The purpose of this study is to analyze historically the relationship between the establishment of the ski supply system and the diffusion of skiing in Fukui Prefecture. The historical documents examined in this paper include newspapers and ″Urigenbo″, which is a price list written by the Kikukawa Ski Manufacturing Company. People who could ski represente only a small part of the entire population of Fukui Prefecture in the Taisho Era, because there was no supply system for skiing equipment. The demand for skis increased as the spread of skiing in Fukui was promoted by education associations and other groups. The Kikukawa Ski Manufacturing Company began to manufacture skis in the autumn of the last year of the Taisho Era. Kikukawa Ski supported the promotion of the spread of skiing from the side of the supply system for skiing equipment. Eight ski grounds were set up in Fukui Pref, by the 8th year of the Showa Era. In addition, ski clubs were established at each ski ground and people in those areas made use of the new infrastructure. The shops for selling Kikukawa's skis started up in places surrounding these ski grounds. Prior to the establishment of ski retailers, the conditions for the diffusion of skiing did not exist in Fukui, due to the lack of a supply system. Once Kikukawa began to supply skis, and through the activities of education associations, finally, skiing was able to spread in Fukui by the 8th year of the Showa Era.
