Tatetsu Airfield

Military Decommissioning and Urban Redevelopment. The airfield was an Imperial Japanese Army base that became defunct following Japan's surrender at the end of World War II. In the post-war period, the land was returned to Japan and repurposed to accommodate the rapid urban expansion of Higashiosaka.

The site has been completely redeveloped and shows no visible traces of its past as an airfield. It is now occupied by Hanazono Central Park (花園中央公園), a large public space. Key facilities on the former airfield grounds include the Higashiosaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium (a world-famous venue often called the 'Mecca' of Japanese high school rugby), the Higashiosaka City Central Library, a baseball stadium, and other recreational areas. A stone monument and plaque exist within the park to commemorate the site's history as Taishō Airfield.

The airfield was historically known as Taishō Airfield (大正飛行場) or sometimes Taishō East Airfield. The name 'Tatetsu' is likely a modern database designation derived from the local district, Tateishi-cho (立石町). Established around 1940, it was a major base for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force during WWII. Its primary roles were as a pilot training facility and a critical air defense base for the industrial heartland of Osaka and Kobe. It hosted fighter units, such as the 246th Sentai, equipped with aircraft like the Kawasaki Ki-61 'Hien' and Nakajima Ki-44 'Shoki' to intercept Allied bomber formations, particularly B-29s.

None. The land is now a vital and fully developed urban park and sports complex in a densely populated city. There are no plans, prospects, or physical possibility of ever reopening the site as an airfield.