Kitaura Naval Airfield

Military Demobilization. The airfield was closed and its associated air group was disbanded following the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II and the subsequent dissolution of the Imperial Japanese military.

The site has been completely redeveloped and is now occupied by educational institutions. The main area of the former base is home to the Ibaraki Prefectural HOKOTA II Senior High School (茨城県立鉾田第二高等学校) and the Ibaraki Prefectural University of Agriculture (茨城県立農業大学校). A few historical remnants are preserved on the school grounds as a reminder of the site's past, including the original red brick main gate (赤レンガ門) and a memorial monument dedicated to the members of the air group.

Established on December 1, 1938, the Kitaura Naval Airfield was the base for the Kitaura Naval Air Group (北浦海軍航空隊) of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. Its primary function was as a major training center for seaplane pilots. The base utilized the vast, calm surface of the adjacent Lake Kitaura as a natural water runway for its operations. It was a key facility for preliminary and operational training on seaplanes like the Yokosuka K5Y 'Willow' trainer and the Mitsubishi F1M 'Pete' observation seaplane. Throughout the Pacific War, it played a crucial role in supplying trained aircrews to the Japanese Navy's seaplane tenders and coastal bases.

None. The site was fully repurposed for civilian educational use decades ago. There are no plans, discussions, or realistic prospects for it to ever be reopened as an airfield.