Miyakonojo East Airfield

The airfield was closed and abandoned following the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II. As an Imperial Japanese Army installation, its operations ceased with the demilitarization of the country under the subsequent Allied occupation.

The site of the former airfield has been completely redeveloped. The land is now primarily used for agriculture, with extensive farmland covering the area where runways and taxiways once existed. There are also some residential homes and light industrial facilities in the vicinity. The original military infrastructure has been entirely removed, and there is no visible trace of the runways from aerial views. A significant feature at the site today is a memorial monument, the 'Tokkō Kichi Miyakonojō Higashi Hikōjō Ato no Hi' (特攻基地 都城東飛行場跡の碑), which translates to 'Monument at the Site of the Special Attack Base Miyakonojo East Airfield'. This monument was erected to honor the memory of the pilots who were based there and lost their lives.

Miyakonojo East Airfield (known in Japanese as 陸軍都城東飛行場, Rikugun Miyakonojō Higashi Hikōjō) was a key Imperial Japanese Army Air Force base during the final, intense stages of World War II. Constructed between 1943 and 1944, its primary and most tragic role was as a forward sortie base for Special Attack Units (特別攻撃隊, Tokkōtai), more commonly known as kamikaze squadrons. During the Battle of Okinawa in the spring of 1945, this airfield was a critical departure point for pilots on one-way missions against the US Navy fleet. It hosted several Shinbu Squadrons (振武隊), including the 106th and 107th, which flew aircraft such as the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate. Its history is deeply connected to the final, desperate air campaigns of the Japanese Empire.

There are absolutely no plans or prospects for reopening Miyakonojo East Airfield. The land was repurposed for civilian use decades ago and is now fully integrated into the local agricultural and residential landscape. The region's modern aviation needs are met by larger, active airports such as Miyazaki Airport (KMI) and Kagoshima Airport (KOJ). The site's legacy is preserved as a historical location and a place of remembrance, not as a potential aviation facility.