Kowa Seaplane Base

The seaplane base was closed for economic reasons. The passenger service it supported, known as the 'Chita Bay Sea Line', was not financially sustainable. Key factors included low passenger volume after an initial period of novelty, high operational and maintenance costs associated with seaplanes operating in a saltwater environment, and direct competition from cheaper and more frequent high-speed ferry services operating the same routes.

The site of the former seaplane base has been fully reabsorbed into the Kowa Port (河和港) facility. There are no visible remnants of the dedicated seaplane operation, such as specific ramps or hangars. The area is now used for the very services that outcompeted the seaplane: the Meitetsu Marine Kanko Line's high-speed boat and car ferry terminals, which continue to connect the Chita Peninsula with Himakajima and Shinojima.

Kowa Seaplane Base was the mainland terminal for a scheduled seaplane service operated by New Central Airservice (新中央航空, Shin Chūō Kōkū) from approximately 1991 to 1998. The service, branded the 'Chita Bay Sea Line' (知多湾シーライン), connected Kowa Port with the popular tourist islands of Himakajima (日間島) and Shinojima (篠島). It utilized a six-seat Cessna TU206G amphibious aircraft, offering a fast (5-7 minute) and scenic alternative to the ferry. During its operation, it was one of the very few scheduled seaplane passenger services in Japan, representing a unique, albeit short-lived, chapter in regional transportation. The ICAO identifier 'JP-2247' is an unofficial code, likely assigned by flight simulator communities or non-official databases, as the facility was not a formally registered aerodrome with an official ICAO code.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening a seaplane base at this location. The economic and logistical challenges that led to its closure in 1998, particularly the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the existing ferry network, still persist, making a commercial revival of the seaplane service highly unlikely.