Bandaijima Airfield

The airfield was relocated due to multiple factors. Its location next to the Shinano River made it highly susceptible to frequent flooding, which disrupted operations. The site was also too small to be expanded for the larger and more modern aircraft of the era. The Imperial Japanese Army pushed for a more reliable and strategically located facility, leading to the construction and opening of a new airport at the current site of Niigata Airport (RJSN), rendering Bandaijima obsolete.

The site of the former airfield has been completely redeveloped and is now a bustling commercial, convention, and transportation hub on the Niigata waterfront. The area is occupied by major modern landmarks, including the Toki Messe Convention Center, the high-rise Bandaijima Building (which contains Hotel Nikko Niigata and an observation deck), and the Sado Kisen Ferry Terminal, the main port for ferries to Sado Island. There are no physical traces of the original airfield remaining.

Opened in 1929 as a seaplane base and expanded with a land runway in 1930, Bandaijima Airfield was the first airport to serve Niigata City. It was a historically significant hub in the early days of Japanese civil aviation. The airport was operated by Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yuso Kabushiki Kaisha), a predecessor to modern Japan Airlines (JAL). It handled scheduled passenger and mail flights, connecting Niigata with major domestic cities like Tokyo and Osaka, and even served international routes to Dalian (then in Manchuria). Its function as a combined land and water aerodrome was characteristic of many early airports.

None. The site is a densely developed urban core with critical infrastructure. Its complete transformation into a major commercial and waterfront district makes any prospect of reopening it as an airfield impossible.