Narashino Airfield

Military Demobilization. The airfield was operated by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and was closed following Japan's surrender at the end of World War II. The Imperial Japanese military was dissolved, and its facilities were either dismantled or taken over by Allied occupation forces.

The site of the former airfield is now primarily occupied by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Camp Narashino and the adjacent Narashino Training Area. In a direct continuation of its historical legacy, the camp is home to the JGSDF's 1st Airborne Brigade. The training area includes a drop zone for parachute exercises, so while it is not a conventional airfield with runways, military aviation activity (parachute drops from transport aircraft) continues. Other parts of the original, larger airfield grounds have been redeveloped over the decades into residential areas, schools, and public parks.

Narashino Airfield was one of the first military airfields in Japan, established around 1916. It was a pivotal site for the development of Japanese military aviation, initially housing the Army's 5th Air Regiment and even early airship battalions. Its most significant role was as the primary base for the Imperial Japanese Army's elite paratroop forces (Teishin Shudan / Raiding Group) during World War II. The airfield served as the main training, development, and deployment center for Japan's airborne units, making it a site of major strategic importance for the IJA.

None. The site is an active and critical military installation for the JGSDF's only airborne unit and is surrounded by the densely populated urban area of Funabashi and Narashino. There are no plans or realistic prospects for its reopening as a conventional civilian or military airport.