Matsudo Airfield

Military Conversion. The closure was not due to economic or safety issues but was a planned handover. After the end of the US occupation and the establishment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), the site was transferred from the United States Air Force (USAF) to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) to be repurposed as a ground forces camp and training school.

The site of the former airfield is now JGSDF Camp Matsudo (陸上自衛隊松戸駐屯地). It is a major installation for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, primarily housing the JGSDF Engineer School, along with other engineering and support units. While the large fixed-wing runways from its past are gone, a portion of the camp operates as Matsudo Heliport (ICAO: RJTL). This heliport is used for JGSDF helicopter operations and training. The ICAO code JP-3162 is a non-standard identifier, likely from a historical or third-party database; the official, current ICAO for the active heliport on site is RJTL.

Matsudo Airfield has a significant military history.

1. **Imperial Japanese Army (1938-1945):** Originally established in 1938 as the Matsudo Army Airfield (松戸陸軍飛行場) by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. It was a crucial base for the air defense of Tokyo during World War II, housing the headquarters of the 10th Air Division. It was home to several fighter units (Sentai) equipped with aircraft like the Ki-61 'Hien' and Ki-100, tasked with intercepting Allied bomber raids.

2. **US Air Force Occupation (1945-1957):** After Japan's surrender in 1945, the airfield was taken over by the U.S. military and renamed Matsudo Air Base. It was operated by the U.S. Fifth Air Force and served various roles. During the Korean War, it was a key support base, housing units like the 35th Fighter-Interceptor Wing and the 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing (flying F-86 Sabres). It also served as a major maintenance, supply, and communications hub for USAF operations in Japan.

3. **Handover to JGSDF (1957):** The base was one of many returned to Japan in the late 1950s. Its transfer marked a shift in the post-war defense landscape of Japan.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Matsudo Airfield as a public or fixed-wing military airport. The land is fully utilized as a critical JGSDF camp and school. Furthermore, it is now surrounded by the dense urban and residential development of Matsudo City, making any expansion or conversion back to a full-scale airfield logistically and politically unfeasible.