Funabashi Airfield (1965)

Post-WWII demilitarization and subsequent large-scale urban redevelopment.

The former airfield site has been completely redeveloped and is now a major commercial and recreational hub in Funabashi. The land is primarily occupied by the Funabashi Racecourse (船橋競馬場), which opened in 1950, and the LaLaport TOKYO-BAY shopping mall, one of Japan's first large-scale American-style shopping centers, which opened in 1981 on the site of the former Funabashi Health Center. There are no physical remnants of the airfield.

The site was originally the location of the Itō Airfield (伊藤飛行場), established around 1917 by Otojiro Itō, a key pioneer of Japanese aviation. It was one of Japan's first private airfields and a crucial hub for the dawn of the country's civil aviation industry. The airfield hosted the Itō Aeroplane Research Studio, which was involved in aircraft manufacturing, advanced pilot training, and early experimental air mail and passenger flights. In the late 1930s, leading up to World War II, the airfield was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army and converted for military use. After the war, its aviation functions ceased permanently.

None. The site is an intensely developed, high-value urban and commercial area. There are no plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening an airfield at this location. Re-establishing an airport here is considered impossible due to the dense infrastructure and land use.