Yura Army Airfield

Military Decommissioning. The airfield was operated by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and was disestablished following the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II. The occupying Allied forces dismantled Japan's military infrastructure, and the airfield was no longer required.

The site of the former airfield has been completely redeveloped and is no longer recognizable as an airport. The land is now used for a variety of purposes, including the Minamiawaji City Driving School (which utilizes a long, straight section of the former runway area), agricultural fields, residential housing, and commercial properties. A peace monument (平和祈念の碑) has been erected in the vicinity to commemorate the site's history and those who served there.

Yura Army Airfield (also known as Sumoto Army Airfield / 洲本陸軍飛行場) was an Imperial Japanese Army Air Service base constructed around 1943-1944. Initially intended for pilot training, its role became more critical towards the end of World War II. It served as a key defensive airbase to protect the vital Osaka-Kobe (Hanshin) industrial region and the strategic Kii Channel. The airfield hosted fighter units, such as the 113th Air Brigade, equipped with aircraft like the Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien. In the final, desperate months of the war, it was repurposed as a forward base for 'tokkōtai' (kamikaze) special attack missions targeting Allied naval forces.

None. The land has been fully repurposed and is deeply integrated into the local community's infrastructure. There are no plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening the site as an airfield.