Mansei Airfield

Military decommissioning following the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II. The airfield was a purpose-built military base for 'tokkō' (special attack) missions and had no further operational purpose after the war.

The site of the former airfield has been completely repurposed. A significant portion is now occupied by the Mansei Tokkō Peace Museum (万世特攻平和祈念館), which was established to commemorate the pilots who flew from the base. The museum displays artifacts, photographs, personal letters, and a restored Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter that was recovered from the ocean. The path of the former runway is now a long, straight public road (Kagoshima Prefectural Road 270) that runs through the Fukiagehama Seaside Park. The surrounding area consists of the park, the memorial museum, and agricultural land.

Mansei Airfield was a secret Imperial Japanese Army Air Service base constructed in 1944, during the final stages of World War II. Its primary and solemn purpose was to serve as a launch point for 'tokkō' (special attack or 'kamikaze') missions against the Allied fleet during the Battle of Okinawa. Along with other bases in southern Kyushu like Chiran and Kanoya, it was a key departure point for these one-way missions. It is remembered as the final airfield for approximately 200 young pilots. The airfield's operations were clandestine, and it holds significant historical importance as a site of wartime tragedy and remembrance in Japan. The ICAO code 'JP-1337' is a non-official identifier, likely used in flight simulator software, as the airfield was never a civil airport.

There are no plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening Mansei Airfield. Its historical identity as a WWII kamikaze base and its current function as a site for a peace museum and memorial make any redevelopment as a functional airport both logistically infeasible and culturally inappropriate. The original infrastructure has been entirely removed.