Kure Naval Airfield

The airfield ceased all operations following Japan's surrender at the end of World War II. As a facility of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), it was dissolved as part of the post-war demilitarization of Japan. The site and its infrastructure had also sustained heavy damage from Allied bombing raids in 1945.

The site of the former airfield has been completely redeveloped and is now occupied by the Japan Marine United (JMU) Kure Shipyard. It is a massive, active industrial complex dedicated to commercial shipbuilding and ship repair. All traces of the original runways, hangars, and military airfield infrastructure have been removed and replaced with dry docks, cranes, and large manufacturing facilities.

The facility, more accurately known as the Hiro Naval Arsenal Airfield (広海軍工廠飛行場, Hiro Kaigun Kōshō Hikōjō), was a critically important site for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was not just an operational base but a major center for aviation technology.

- **Aircraft Development & Production:** It was part of the Hiro Naval Arsenal, one of the IJN's primary facilities for the research, development, and production of naval aircraft and engines from the 1920s through WWII. It was particularly renowned for its work on large flying boats and seaplanes.
- **Test Flight Center:** The airfield was used for the crucial test flights of prototypes and newly manufactured aircraft before they were delivered to the fleet.
- **Operational Base:** It supported the Kure Naval Air Group (呉海軍航空隊), which conducted training, coastal patrol, and air defense for the Kure Naval District, one of the most important naval bases in Japan and the home port of battleships like the Yamato.
- **Note on Identifier:** The ICAO code 'JP-1197' is a non-standard, unofficial identifier, likely used in flight simulator databases or historical archives. The airfield did not have a modern ICAO code.

None. There are no plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening the site as an airport. The land is of high economic value in its current use as a major industrial shipyard, and its complete redevelopment makes any conversion back to an airfield logistically and economically infeasible.