Shirahama Seaplane Base

The closure was a result of multiple factors. Primarily, the militarization and nationalization of Japanese civil aviation in the lead-up to World War II ended most non-essential tourist air routes. Following the war, Japan's aviation infrastructure development heavily favored land-based airports over seaplane bases. The subsequent opening of the land-based Nanki-Shirahama Airport (RJBD) in 1968 permanently supplanted the need for a seaplane facility for regular passenger transport to the region.

The site of the former seaplane base is located in the sheltered Kanayama Bay (鉛山湾). Today, the area is a highly developed tourist and resort waterfront. The location is occupied by hotels (such as the Shirahama Coganoi Resort & Spa), recreational boat marinas, fishing ports, and public parks. There are no visible remnants or memorials of the original seaplane facility, and the site is fully integrated into Shirahama's modern tourism infrastructure.

The Shirahama Seaplane Base was a significant site in the history of early Japanese civil aviation. During the 1930s, it served as a key destination for one of Japan's pioneering commercial air routes, operated by Japan Air Transport (Nihon Kōkū Yusō Kabushiki Kaisha), a direct predecessor to modern Japan Airlines (JAL). The route connected the major metropolitan area of Osaka (from a seaplane port in Sakai) with the popular hot spring resort town of Shirahama, playing a vital role in the development of high-end tourism. Operations were conducted using iconic aircraft of the era, including Dornier Wal flying boats and Fokker F.VIIb/3m trimotor seaplanes.

There are no confirmed plans to reopen the base for permanent, scheduled operations. However, there has been periodic interest in reviving seaplane tourism. In November 2017, a demonstration flight using a modern Kodiak 100 amphibious aircraft was conducted in Kanayama Bay to explore the feasibility of launching tourist charter flights. Local government and tourism bodies have expressed interest in attracting such services to diversify tourist offerings, but these exploratory efforts have not yet resulted in the re-establishment of a permanent base or regular flight schedules.