Minatomachi Gliderfield

The primary reason for the closure was land redevelopment for public use. The gliderfield was located on land designated for the expansion of the Hitachi Seaside Park (国営ひたち海浜公園), a large National Government Park. The airfield was closed and dismantled to allow the park to develop the area into a recreational green space.

The site of the former Minatomachi Gliderfield has been fully integrated into the Hitachi Seaside Park. The coordinates point directly to the area now known as the 'Daisogen' (大草原), which translates to 'Great Plain' or 'Large Grassland'. This is a vast, open lawn area within the park used by visitors for picnics, recreation, and various events. All infrastructure related to the airfield, including the runway and any support buildings, has been removed, and there are no visible remnants of its past as a gliderfield.

Minatomachi Gliderfield was established on a portion of the vast site of the former Mito Air Base, which was used by the U.S. Air Force until it was returned to the Japanese government in 1973. The gliderfield served as a key training facility for glider pilots and aviation enthusiasts in the Kanto region. It was particularly important for university aviation clubs, with institutions like Waseda University's Aviation Club regularly holding training camps at the site. Operations consisted of both winch-launched and aero-towed glider flights, making it a vibrant center for non-powered aviation for over two decades.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the Minatomachi Gliderfield. The land is now a central and popular feature of a major national park that attracts millions of tourists annually. Its value as a public recreational space far outweighs its former use, and the re-establishment of an airfield at this location is considered infeasible.