Makinouchi Airfield

The closure was due to economic and operational factors. Makinouchi Airfield was a private airstrip built for agricultural purposes. Its closure was a result of the declining need for aerial crop dusting in the region, driven by changes in farming technology, environmental regulations, and the high cost of maintaining and operating agricultural aircraft.

The site is currently abandoned. The paved runway, approximately 800 meters long, is still clearly visible from satellite view but is in a state of disrepair, heavily overgrown with grass and weeds. The land has not been repurposed for other uses and appears to be slowly reverting to nature, surrounded by the active farmland it once served.

Makinouchi Airfield was a private agricultural airstrip (農道離着陸場, Nōdō richakuriku-jō) established circa 1970. It was owned and operated by the local Nemuro Agricultural Cooperative (根室農業協同組合). Its sole function was to support the region's farming industry by providing a base for small aircraft used in aerial application (crop dusting) of pesticides and fertilizers. It was never a public airport for passenger or cargo transport and had no military significance.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Makinouchi Airfield. The original agricultural need for the strip has diminished, and there is no other economic or transportation demand for an airfield at this specific location, especially with the larger Nakashibetsu Airport (IATA: SHB) serving the regional needs of the Nemuro Peninsula. The site is expected to remain derelict or eventually be fully converted back into agricultural land.