Miyakonojo West Airfield

Military Decommissioning. The airfield was operated by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and ceased operations following the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II. It was not a civilian airport that closed for economic reasons.

The site of the former Miyakonojo West Airfield is now fully occupied by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Camp Miyakonojo (陸上自衛隊都城駐屯地). The camp was established in 1952. While the general outline of the former runways can sometimes be faintly discerned from satellite imagery, the land has been completely repurposed. It now contains barracks, training grounds, vehicle depots, administrative buildings, and helipads for JGSDF helicopters. The original fixed-wing runway is no longer intact or in use.

Miyakonojo West Airfield (都城西飛行場, Miyakonojō Nishi Hikōjō) was constructed by the Imperial Japanese Army around 1943-1944 during the late stages of World War II. Its primary historical significance lies in its role as a key military airbase. Initially used for training fighter pilots, its role shifted dramatically as the war progressed. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it became a forward operating base for Special Attack Units (特別攻撃隊, Tokubetsu Kōgekitai), commonly known as kamikaze units. Numerous sorties, particularly by the Army's Shimbu-tai (振武隊) units, were launched from this airfield and its nearby counterpart, Miyakonojo East Airfield, targeting the Allied fleet. After the war, the facility was disarmed and abandoned.

None. The site is an active and important military installation for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. There are no known plans, discussions, or prospects for decommissioning the JGSDF camp or converting the land back into a civilian or public-use airport.