Kanno Airstrip

Redevelopment for public infrastructure. Following the devastating Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 1995, the Hyogo prefectural government selected the site for a new, large-scale regional disaster prevention center. The construction of this critical facility necessitated the permanent closure of the airstrip.

The site is now the Hyogo Prefectural Kakogawa General Disaster Prevention Center (兵庫県広域防災センター). This modern facility serves as a central command and logistics hub for disaster response operations in the region. It includes large emergency supply warehouses, training grounds for firefighters and rescue teams, and a dedicated heliport (ICAO: RJBG). A long, straight road within the center, which follows the alignment of the original runway, is designed to be used as an emergency airstrip for fixed-wing aircraft in a major disaster scenario.

The site has a significant multi-layered history. It was originally established in 1937 as the Kakogawa Army Airfield (加古川陸軍飛行場), a major base for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. During World War II, it was a key training center for fighter pilots and, towards the end of the war, for kamikaze units. After the war, the large military airfield was dismantled, but a portion of the former runway was repurposed and continued to operate for decades as the Kakogawa Glider Port (加古川滑空場), which is the facility referred to as Kanno Airstrip (JP-1290). It was actively used by university aviation clubs and private gliding enthusiasts from across the Kansai region.

None. There are no plans or prospects to reopen the site as a public or general aviation airstrip. The land has been permanently and completely repurposed for its critical public safety role as a disaster prevention center. The aviation function of the site is now limited to the official heliport (RJBG) and the emergency-use-only runway.