Location
Lat 40° 42' 12N Long 141° 22' 6E  Misawa Airfield is located near Misawa in Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku Region of Honshū in Japan. To the northwest is Lake Ogawara.

Construction
Built during 1941 as a military airfield for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The airbase was triangular in shape with two concrete runways surrounded by rolled grass areas. The first oriented east-west measuring 3,930' x 260'. The second oriented northeast-southwest measuring 3,930' x 260'.

Wartime History
During the Pacific War, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). Before the start of the Pacific War, nearby Lake Ogawara was used to practice torpedo attacks in preparation for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

During the war, testing of experimental aircraft was conducted by the Japanese Navy technical air arsenal (Kaigun Koku-Gijutsu-Sho Kugisho) at this airfield in addition to Yokosuka Airfield and Kisarazu Airfield. During 1945, heavily bombed by American aircraft. Misawa was heavily damaged at the end of the war.

Postwar
On January 11, 1952 reopened as an airport with Japan Airlines providing services to Haneda Airport and Chitose Airport. By 1955, commercial flights were canceled due to safety concerns from the U.S. authorities. In June 1957 the U.S. Air Force (USAF) 49th Fighter Group operating with F-84 Thunderjets arrived from Nagoya Air Base.

Reopened on May 10, 1975 served by Toa Airways (Japan Air System). In 1977 a new terminal building opened and was expanded and rebuilt by 1986.

Today
Still in use today as Misawa Airport or Misawa Air Base. The single runway is oriented 28/10 measures 10,000' x 150' surfaced with asphalt. Airport codes: ICAO: RJSM IATA: MSJ

References
Survey of Japanese Airfields in the Empire Area. CinCPac-CinCPOA Sept. 1944

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Last Updated
April 19, 2021