Documenting the Last F-4s of the JASDF
During visits to JASDF Hyakuri in 2018 and 2019, I had the opportunity to document one of the final chapters in the long and distinguished career of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in Japanese service.
By this time, Hyakuri had become the last home of Japan’s three remaining Phantom squadrons: the 301st Hikotai, the 302nd Hikotai and the 501st Hikotai. Seeing F-4EJ Kai fighters and RF-4E/RF-4EJ reconnaissance aircraft operating from the same base provided a unique opportunity to photograph the final generation of Japan’s Phantoms.
My 2018 visit came during the final months of the 302nd Hikotai’s Phantom operations, before the unit transitioned to the F-35A. Returning in 2019, the 302nd had already departed Hyakuri, leaving the 301st and 501st as the final operational Phantom units at the base.
The distinctive markings of the three squadrons, together with the varied camouflage of the reconnaissance fleet, made Hyakuri an extraordinary destination for any Phantom enthusiast. More importantly, these visits allowed me to document the aircraft at a time when their retirement was no longer a distant prospect, but an approaching reality.
The final Japanese Phantoms would disappear from operational service in 2021, bringing an end to almost half a century of F-4 operations with the JASDF. The report looks back at these visits and the final years of the Japanese Phantom, documenting the aircraft, squadrons and unique atmosphere of Hyakuri during the closing chapter of this remarkable era.