Amagi Gliderfield

The primary reason for the closure was land redevelopment by the landowner, the Kirin Brewery Company. The gliding club that operated the airfield was leasing the land from Kirin. The company decided to terminate the lease to build a large-scale solar power plant on the site as part of its renewable energy initiatives. The closure was therefore for economic and industrial redevelopment reasons, not due to an accident or military conversion.

The site of the former runway and airfield is now completely occupied by the 'Kirin Beer Fukuoka Factory Mega Solar Power Plant' (キリンビール福岡工場メガソーラー発電所). Shortly after the airfield closed in 2013, construction began on a massive solar farm that now covers the entire length of the former runway. The site is dedicated to industrial-scale renewable energy generation for the adjacent Kirin Brewery and the regional power grid.

Amagi Gliderfield held significant historical importance on two levels.

1. **World War II Heritage**: The airfield was situated on a portion of the former Tachiarai Army Airfield (大刀洗陸軍飛行場), one of the most important air bases for the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service in Kyushu during World War II. Tachiarai was a major training center for pilots, including those in Kamikaze units, and was heavily targeted by Allied bombing raids.

2. **Post-War Gliding Hub**: After the war, the vast military complex was dismantled, but a section of a former runway was preserved and became Amagi Gliderfield. For over 60 years, it served as the premier hub for civilian gliding (soaring) in Fukuoka Prefecture and the wider Kyushu region. It was the home base for numerous university aviation clubs (including Kyushu University) and private soaring clubs, playing a vital role in training new pilots and fostering recreational aviation.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Amagi Gliderfield. The land has been permanently repurposed and is covered by a significant infrastructure investment (the solar farm). Re-establishing an airfield would require the complete removal of the solar power plant, which is highly improbable. The closure represented a permanent end to aviation activities at this historic location, forcing the local gliding community to seek alternative, though less ideal, locations.