Kurita Seaplane Base

Military Decommissioning. The seaplane base was a facility of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). Following the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II in August 1945, all Japanese military installations were disarmed and decommissioned under the direction of the Allied occupation forces. The base was no longer needed as the IJN was officially dissolved.

The former seaplane base site has been completely repurposed for civilian and municipal use. The majority of the land is now occupied by the Kurita Bay Clean Center (栗田湾クリーンセンター), a waste management and incineration facility for the city of Miyazu. Other parts of the area are used for local industry and port facilities.

However, a significant and well-preserved historical remnant still exists: the large concrete slipway (ramp) used to launch and retrieve the seaplanes is still clearly visible at the water's edge. It serves as a tangible link to the area's World War II history and is a point of interest for local historians and explorers of wartime ruins.

The Kurita Seaplane Base (旧海軍栗田水上機基地 - Kyū Kaigun Kurita Suijōki Kichi) was constructed by the Imperial Japanese Navy, with work beginning in 1942 and the base becoming operational around 1943. It was strategically located in the sheltered waters of Miyazu Bay and operated under the command of the nearby Maizuru Naval District, one of the main bases of the IJN. Its primary roles were:

1. **Training:** It served as a key training facility for seaplane pilots and crews. The calm bay was ideal for practicing takeoffs and landings.
2. **Coastal Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare:** Aircraft from Kurita were tasked with patrolling the Sea of Japan to detect and engage enemy submarines, protecting vital shipping lanes.
3. **Reconnaissance:** The base supported reconnaissance missions along the Japanese coast.

Operations were conducted using various IJN seaplanes, likely including reconnaissance types like the Mitsubishi F1M ('Pete') and the Aichi E13A ('Jake'). The base consisted of barracks, hangars, maintenance facilities, and a large, distinctive concrete slipway for moving aircraft between the land and the water. It was an important part of the naval infrastructure supporting the main fleet base at Maizuru.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the Kurita Seaplane Base. The site has been fundamentally redeveloped for essential public infrastructure (waste management) for over 75 years. The strategic and operational need for such a military seaplane base no longer exists, and the surrounding area is now dedicated to civilian purposes. Its value is now purely historical.