Nyugawa Airfield

Military Decommissioning. The airfield was a naval air base that ceased operations following Japan's surrender at the end of World War II and the subsequent dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces.

The former airfield site has been completely redeveloped and is unrecognizable as an aviation facility. The land is now occupied by the large industrial complex of the Kuraray Co., Ltd. Saijo Plant, a major chemical and synthetic fiber manufacturer. The vast, flat area that once served as runways and taxiways was ideal for the construction of this large-scale factory in the post-war period.

Nyugawa Airfield (壬生川飛行場, Nyugawa Hikōjō) was a base for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service during the late stages of World War II. Construction began around 1943 as Japan fortified its home islands against Allied advances. The base was officially home to the Nyugawa Naval Air Group (壬生川海軍航空隊, Nyugawa Kaigun Kōkūtai) and served primarily as a naval air training facility for pilots. It was also intended to function as an operational base for interceptor aircraft to defend the industrial areas of Shikoku and the Kure Naval Arsenal from Allied B-29 bomber raids. The base was targeted by American air raids in the final months of the war before it was abandoned.

None. The site is fully utilized by a major, active industrial plant. There are no plans, discussions, or possibilities for the location to be converted back into an airfield.