See also:
Kamikochi Imperial Hotel, Matsumoto, c. 1940
“When we got to [the Shiga Heights Hotel], we were on the top of an isolated pinnacle 5,000 feet above civilization. We were surrounded by hills, the alpine type so well suited to winter sports. We saw the ski lift, the ski jump, and the toboggan slide that in winter make this place a white paradise.
“But best of all, instead of having a white blanket over the earth, there was a shawl of the most beautiful autumn colors that I have ever seen. The shades went all the way from brilliant red to a bright yellow, and then all the way down the scale of pastel colors.
“The hotel was wonderful, the meals like a dream, and the hospitality was what the GI dreams about on those cold mornings when he falls out for reveille.”
– From Japan with Love, 1946-1948, by Mary A. Ruggierri, 2007
“HOTEL SHIGA HEIGHTS is a first-class institution of great charm located at one of the best places in Japan to enjoy skiing. Operated by the management of the Kyoto Hotel, it has catered to both foreign and domestic tourists for many years. On the plateau are more than forty lakes and many white birch forests that add to the beauty of the scenery. From the hotel yard many hiking paths radiate in all directions.”
– Fodor’s Guide to Japan and East Asia, 1965