JGSDF Camp Higashichitose First Airfield

Military consolidation. The airfield was closed as part of a JGSDF strategic decision to centralize its aviation assets for greater efficiency. The resident aviation unit was relocated to the larger, more modern, and co-located facilities at Camp Kita-Chitose, which shares runways with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Chitose Air Base (RJCJ). This move improved logistics, maintenance, and operational integration.

The site is no longer an active airfield and all aviation infrastructure has been removed. Satellite imagery of the coordinates confirms that the former runway and taxiway areas have been fully converted into a ground vehicle training area. The open space is now used by the 7th Armored Division for driver training and tactical maneuvers involving tanks (like the Type 90 and Type 10), armored personnel carriers, and other military vehicles based at JGSDF Camp Higashichitose.

The airfield was the primary operational base for the 7th Aviation Squadron (Dai-nana Hikōtai) of the JGSDF's 7th Division from March 1981 until its closure. The 7th Division is the JGSDF's only armored division, representing a cornerstone of Japan's defense strategy in Hokkaido. The squadron, based at this airfield, provided essential air support, including reconnaissance, liaison, observation, and anti-tank capabilities. It primarily operated aircraft such as the Hughes OH-6D observation helicopter and the Bell UH-1 utility helicopter, which were vital for the mobility and situational awareness of the armored units during the late Cold War period.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. Its function has been permanently absorbed by the main JGSDF aviation facilities at Chitose Air Base. The land has been successfully and fully repurposed for critical ground force training, a purpose for which there is an ongoing need. Re-establishing it as an airfield would be logistically redundant and would require sacrificing valuable training grounds, making any such prospect extremely unlikely.