Uwajima Airfield

The closure was due to a combination of economic and administrative factors. The primary reason was a severe and sustained decline in usage over many years. Originally built to support tourism, the number of annual takeoffs and landings fell from a peak of over 2,000 in its early years to just a few hundred by the early 2000s. This low demand made the high maintenance costs for the facility financially unsustainable for the local municipalities. The administrative merger of Akehama Town (where the airfield was located) into the newly formed city of Seiyo in 2004 was the final catalyst, as the new city government decided to abolish the underutilized and costly asset.

The site has been completely repurposed and bears no resemblance to an airfield. Following its closure, the land was redeveloped into the 'Seiyo Akehama Mega Solar Power Plant,' a large-scale solar energy generation facility. The entire area of the former runway, apron, and associated grounds is now covered with thousands of solar panels. All aviation-related infrastructure has been permanently removed.

Opened in October 1968, Uwajima Airfield was a notable STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) airport built on reclaimed land along the coast. It was a joint project by Uwajima City and the former Akehama Town, conceived as a way to promote tourism in the scenic but relatively remote Uwa Sea coastal region. The airfield featured a 500-meter runway and primarily handled general aviation. Its main operator, Uwajima Air Service, conducted sightseeing flights over the Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park, provided pilot training, and operated charter flights using small aircraft like the Cessna 172. It never hosted scheduled commercial passenger services. Its historical significance lies in being an early example of a local government-led initiative in Japan to build a specialized STOLport to stimulate regional tourism.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Uwajima Airfield. The complete and permanent conversion of the site into a major solar power plant makes a return to aviation use virtually impossible. The economic factors that led to its closure remain, and the significant investment in the current energy infrastructure on the site solidifies its new, non-aviation purpose.