Honda Airfield / Hirakawa Gliderport

The closure was primarily due to a combination of economic factors and strategic business decisions by its operator, Honda Aviation. Key reasons include a long-term decline in the demand for glider training and recreational gliding activities, the increasing costs of maintaining the aging facilities, and a decision by Honda Aviation to consolidate its flight operations and resources at its main hub, Honda Airport (ICAO: RJAO), in Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture.

The site of the former airfield has been completely repurposed into a large-scale solar power generation facility. Shortly after its closure, the land was developed into the 'Chiba Hirakawa Solar Power Plant'. The entire area, including the former runway and taxiways, is now covered with thousands of photovoltaic solar panels. While the basic outline of the airfield is still discernible from satellite imagery, all aviation infrastructure has been removed, and the land is now dedicated to renewable energy production.

Operated by Honda Aviation (本田航空株式会社), a subsidiary of the Honda Motor Co., Hirakawa Gliderport was a vital center for general aviation, specifically for the sport of gliding (soaring), in the Kanto region of Japan. For decades, it served as a primary training ground for numerous university aviation clubs (notably Waseda University's renowned aviation club), private pilots, and gliding enthusiasts. The facility featured a single grass runway (approximately 800 meters long) and primarily handled glider operations, including winch launches and aero-tows by light aircraft. It played a significant role in fostering Japan's gliding community and introducing many individuals to aviation.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The conversion of the site into a major solar farm is a permanent, high-investment land use change. Reverting the land to aviation use would be economically and logistically prohibitive. The closure is considered permanent, and the site's future is firmly in the energy sector.