Sakai Ohama Airfield

Obsolescence and replacement. The airfield was rendered obsolete by the opening of the much larger and more modern Osaka No. 2 Airfield in 1939. The new airport was better equipped to handle the larger aircraft and increasing passenger and mail traffic of the era. The coastal location of Ohama was also less ideal than the inland site of the new airport. The closure was a strategic decision to consolidate air traffic at a superior facility.

The site of the former airfield has been completely redeveloped and no longer exists as an aviation facility. The land is now primarily occupied by Ohama Park (大浜公園), a large public recreational area. The park includes the Ohama Gymnasium, a municipal swimming pool, a sumo wrestling stadium, and green spaces. A stone monument, shaped like an aircraft propeller and bearing an inscription about its history, stands within the park to commemorate the former airfield's location and significance.

Sakai Ohama Airfield, opened in 1929, was a pioneering facility in the early history of Japanese civil aviation. It was the first major airport serving the Osaka metropolitan area. Operated by the Japan Air Transport Corporation (a forerunner of Japan Airlines), it was a crucial hub for the nation's nascent air network. The airfield handled scheduled passenger and mail services on key domestic routes, most notably the trunk route connecting Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. It was also a base for sightseeing flights over the Kansai region. Its existence marked a significant step in establishing commercial air travel in Japan before the era of large-scale, modern airports.

None. The site has been fully repurposed for public and recreational use for over 80 years and is located within a densely populated urban area of Sakai City. There are no plans, discussions, or possibilities for reopening it as an airfield.