Sanbesan Gliderfield

The closure was due to operational and demographic reasons rather than a specific incident or military conversion. The primary user, the Shimane University Medical School Aviation Club, was disbanded due to a severe and prolonged decline in new student membership. This made it financially unviable and logistically difficult to safely maintain the equipment (gliders, winch) and conduct flight operations.

The site is currently abandoned and inactive. Satellite imagery and local visitor reports confirm that the former grass runway is no longer maintained and is slowly being reclaimed by nature, with vegetation overgrowing the strip. There has been no redevelopment or conversion of the land for other purposes; it remains a recognizable but derelict airstrip.

Sanbesan Gliderfield was a registered 'off-airport landing site' (場外離着陸場 - jōgai richakuriku-jō) in Japan. Its main purpose was to serve as the home base for the Shimane University Medical School Aviation Club. For decades, it was a hub for student glider training and recreational flying in the scenic San'in region. Operations consisted of launching gliders, primarily using a ground-based winch system. Its location at the foot of the picturesque Mount Sanbe provided a unique and beautiful environment for soaring.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Sanbesan Gliderfield. The dissolution of its dedicated operating club, combined with the high costs and logistical challenges of re-establishing a gliding operation, makes a revival highly improbable. The site is expected to remain closed indefinitely.