Saigo Bay Seaplane Base

The closure was due to a combination of economic and operational factors. The seaplane service suffered from low profitability and was highly unreliable, with frequent cancellations, especially during the winter months due to the rough waves of the Sea of Japan. The service was ultimately rendered obsolete by the decision to build a conventional land-based airport on the island, the original Oki Airport, which opened a few years later in 1965.

The site of the former seaplane base is now part of the modern, active Saigo Port (西郷港). The specific water landing area is simply open bay, and any onshore facilities like ramps or small terminals from the 1950s and 60s no longer exist. The entire port area has been redeveloped and is now used for large-scale ferry operations connecting the Oki Islands with the mainland, as well as for fishing fleets and other maritime activities. There are no visible remnants of its past as a seaplane base.

The Saigo Bay Seaplane Base was historically significant as it hosted the first-ever regular air service to the remote Oki Islands. Operations began in 1955, run by Nitto Aviation (日東航空), a predecessor of the modern Japan Airlines (JAL). The service connected Saigo Port on Okinoshima with the city of Yonago on the Japanese mainland. Initially, a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter was used, later replaced by a Grumman G-73 Mallard amphibious aircraft. This air link, while challenging, was a vital connection for passengers and mail, significantly reducing travel time to the isolated islands before a permanent airport was constructed.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Saigo Bay Seaplane Base. The Oki Islands are now well-served by the modern Oki Airport (IATA: OKI, ICAO: RJNO), which offers reliable, all-weather, year-round flights with larger turboprop aircraft to major hubs like Osaka and Izumo. A seaplane service would be slower, have a much lower capacity, be more susceptible to weather, and would not be economically competitive with the existing airport infrastructure. Therefore, the prospect of reopening is effectively zero.