Ibaraki Airport, Military and civil aerodrome in Omitama, Japan
This aerodrome in Omitama serves both civilian air traffic and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, with two runways and a terminal of around 7,800 square meters (84,000 square feet). The facility sits roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo and is served by several domestic carriers, while military units use the eastern part of the infrastructure.
The site was established in 1937 by the Imperial Japanese Navy as Hyakuri Airfield and temporarily reverted to farmers after 1945 before reopening as a military base in 1956. Civilian traffic only began in 2010, when the terminal for passenger flights was inaugurated.
The original name Hyakuri refers to a nearby place in Ibaraki Prefecture, and many locals still use this designation today. Passengers often see military aircraft beside civilian planes on the tarmac, making the shared use visible.
Direct bus services from the terminal reach Tokyo Station in roughly two hours, and free shuttles run to certain hotels within the prefecture. Travelers should arrive early, as security checks can be more thorough than at purely civilian airports due to the military presence.
A Soviet MiG-25 fighter landed here in 1976 after defecting from Russia and was examined by American technicians before being returned to the Soviet Union. This incident brought the base international attention and influenced diplomatic relations between Japan and the USSR at the time.
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