Yuzukami Airfield

The closure was a direct result of a fatal accident. On May 5, 2013, an ultralight aircraft crashed immediately after takeoff, killing the pilot. Following this incident and the subsequent investigation by the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), the private operator permanently ceased all aviation activities at the site.

The site of the former airfield has been completely redeveloped. The land is now occupied by a large-scale solar power plant, the Otawara Yuzukami Solar Power Plant. All traces of the runway, hangars, and other aviation-related infrastructure have been removed and replaced by extensive arrays of solar panels.

Yuzukami Airfield, also known as Yuzukami Farm Airfield (湯津上農場飛行場), was a small, private airfield with a single unpaved grass runway approximately 400-500 meters long. Its primary function was agricultural aviation, providing crop-dusting services for the surrounding farms in the Otawara area. Additionally, it served as a local hub for recreational general aviation, popular with enthusiasts and clubs operating ultralight aircraft and motor gliders. It had no scheduled commercial services or military function; its significance was purely for local agricultural and recreational flying.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The land has been permanently and completely repurposed for renewable energy generation, making any future aviation use impossible without the complete removal of the existing solar farm.