Shikiu Airfield

Primarily economic reasons. The airfield's main purpose was agricultural aviation (crop dusting), a sector that saw a significant decline in Japan due to changes in farming technology and practices. This, combined with the high operational costs and dwindling use by general aviation pilots, made the airfield financially unsustainable for its private operators.

The site has been completely repurposed. As of the mid-2010s, the former airfield grounds, including the runway and taxiways, have been converted into a large-scale solar power plant, known as the Shiraoi Shikiu Solar Power Plant. Satellite imagery clearly shows the area covered by thousands of solar panels. While the faint outline of the former runway can still be discerned, the land is now dedicated to renewable energy generation.

Shikiu Airfield was a privately owned and operated airfield that served a crucial role in local agriculture and general aviation. Its primary operations involved agricultural aircraft for crop dusting and pest control over the surrounding farmland in the Iburi Subprefecture. It was also a hub for recreational and private flying, including light aircraft, ultralights, and flight training activities for the local aviation community. It was never a commercial airport with scheduled passenger service, but it was an important piece of local infrastructure for specialized aviation needs.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The conversion of the land into a major solar energy farm is a long-term industrial use that makes a return to aviation operations functionally impossible without the complete removal of the solar installation, which is highly improbable and economically unfeasible.