Machinato Airfield

Military consolidation and redevelopment. The small, auxiliary airstrip was deemed redundant as larger, more capable air bases like MCAS Futenma and Kadena Air Base handled the primary aviation requirements for U.S. Forces in Okinawa. The land was strategically more valuable for the development of a large-scale logistics and supply depot, which became the Makiminato Service Area and later Camp Kinser.

The site of the former Machinato Airfield is now completely occupied by Camp Kinser (the Makiminato Service Area), a major United States Marine Corps logistics base. The area is covered with warehouses, maintenance facilities, administrative buildings, and military housing. There are no visible remnants of the original runway or airfield infrastructure.

Machinato Airstrip (also known as Machinato Auxiliary Airfield) was a small airfield constructed by the U.S. military shortly after the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Its primary function was to support the vast adjacent Machinato-Naha port and supply complex. The airstrip handled light aircraft, including observation planes (e.g., L-4 Grasshopper, L-5 Sentinel), liaison aircraft, and small, short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) transports. It played a support role in the post-war U.S. military infrastructure but was never a major air base. Note: The provided ICAO code 'JP-1982' is not a valid, official ICAO designation. Official ICAO codes for Japan begin with 'RJ' or 'RO' (for Okinawa). This code may be from a non-official database or simulation.

There are zero prospects for the site to reopen as an airport. However, the land has significant prospects for a different future. Under the U.S.-Japan agreement on the consolidation of military bases in Okinawa, a large portion of Camp Kinser is scheduled to be returned to the Japanese government for civilian use. The return process is slated to begin in FY2024 and continue in subsequent years. The city of Urasoe has extensive redevelopment plans for the returned land, focusing on commercial, residential, and public-use projects, but not an airfield.