Akago Airfield

Primarily economic and demographic reasons. The airfield, operated by the city of Mine, faced a steady decline in usage over the years. The primary user base of private pilots and gliding enthusiasts was aging, and there was not enough new activity to justify the increasing maintenance and operational costs. The city ultimately decided that it was no longer financially viable to keep the facility open.

The site has been completely repurposed. Shortly after its closure, the former airfield grounds were leased for development into a large-scale solar power plant. Today, the entire length of the former runway and surrounding taxiways are covered with solar panels. The facility is known as the 'Mine Akago Solar Park' (美祢赤郷ソーラーパーク). The distinct outline of the runway is still clearly visible from satellite imagery, but it is now an energy generation site, not an aviation facility.

Akago Airfield was not a major commercial or military airport; its significance was local and recreational. It was a city-operated public-use airfield that served as a key hub for general aviation in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Its primary operations included private light aircraft, ultralights, and most notably, gliders. It was the home base for the Yamaguchi Glider Club (山口グライダークラブ) and played an important role in fostering recreational flying and providing a venue for aviation hobbyists in the region for several decades.

Effectively zero. The complete conversion of the site into a major solar power plant represents a long-term, high-investment commitment to energy generation. Decommissioning the solar farm to restore the airfield would be prohibitively expensive and logistically complex. Furthermore, the original economic and demand-related reasons for its closure have not changed. There are no known plans or discussions to reopen Akago Airfield.