Choshi Airfield

Military Decommissioning. The airfield was an Imperial Japanese Navy air base that ceased all operations following the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II. Its military purpose became obsolete, and the facility was subsequently abandoned and dismantled.

The site of the former airfield has been completely redeveloped. The land where the runways and military facilities once stood is now occupied by the Choshi Byobugaura Solar Power Plant, a large-scale solar farm. While no aviation infrastructure remains, the layout of the solar panels and surrounding access roads still vaguely follows the outline of the original runways, making its past as an airfield discernible from satellite imagery.

Known as Choshi Naval Air Base, the airfield was constructed by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the latter stages of World War II (approximately 1943-1945). Its strategic purpose was to serve as a base for land-based interceptor aircraft to defend the Kanto Plain and the Tokyo metropolitan area from Allied B-29 bomber raids. It housed advanced fighters for the time, including the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden ('Jack') and the Kawanishi N1K Shiden ('George'). The base was also designated for use by Kamikaze special attack units in the final defense of the Japanese home islands.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Choshi Airfield. The site has been defunct for over 75 years, and the land has been fully repurposed for industrial-scale renewable energy production. Its proximity to major airports like Narita International Airport further negates any potential need for its revival as an aviation facility.