In May, I went on a 10 day trip with some friends to the land of the rising sun. I had been planning to visit this beautiful country for quite a while now, especially since it is widely known how spotter friendly this country is and the incredible air force, army and navy that this country has. In addition, the countryside is unique and some bases offer some great vantage points for photography, putting this country on the wishlist for many aviation spotters.
MCAS Iwakuni Airshow
The trip started with the 42nd anniversary of the MCAS Iwakuni Friendship Day, held on Saturday 5th May 2018. Ever since 1973, in May of every year, the gates of MCAS Iwakuni open to over 250,000 visitors who come for the single day air show including entertainment, games, aerial and static displays, car and motorbike shows.
The event is organised to foster positive relationships and offer an exciting experience that displays the communal support between the U.S. and Japan. Similarly to previous editions, the air show encompassed various U.S. and Japanese static display aircraft, aerial performances, food and entertainment. Being the first time I was seeing Japanese Military Aircraft, everything was a highlight, however the ShinMaywa US-2 was a sight to behold, gracing the static park with its immensity and beauty. Other notable highlights were the US Navy MH-53E Sea Stallion, the two USAF A-10s from Osan Air Base in South Korea, and the various variants of the venerable P-3s that are in service with the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force. In fact, all the versions were on display, including the EP-3C, the UP-3C and the OP-3C orions. The amount of people visiting the show made it hard to get the best out of the static display, however all in all it was a great event blessed with great weather and an awesome way to start the spotting trip to the land of the rising sun!
JASDF Hyakuri
Following some travelling by car and by air, the next step was a visit to this world famous military air base of the Japan Air Self Defence Force i.e. Hyakuri, home of the Japanese phantoms. We scheduled two days to get the most out of this base, especially since the phantoms are soon going to be retired. Needless to say, it was spectacular, especially seeing the RF-4Es in all the green and blue liveries. We were surprised at how much the Japanese still fly these aircraft, sending in wave after wave on both days that we visited this base. I can’t wait to be back!
NAF Atsugi
We also spent about half a day at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, home to both US Navy aircraft and Japanese Navy aircraft. The weather did not help, however we still managed to capture nearly all types of Japanese Navy aircraft including P-3 Orions, a C-130R, a Kawasaki P-1, a USMC F-18 hornet, a US Navy C-40, as well as several SH-60Js.
JASDF Iruma
Following our visit to NAF Atsugi, we travelled to JASDF Iruma, home to the the venerable YS-11s and C-1s of the Japanese Air Force, among others. We found similar weather to the one we found at Atsugi, however the base was much more active with practically all types based in this base taking off to perform some mission. Nearly all aircraft treated us with several touch and goes, thus enabling us to take various shots at various angles and also helped us get better shots due to the challenging weather conditions. Needless to say, despite the weather, another amazing day.
JASDF Komatsu
I was very excited to visit JASDF Komatsu owing to the base hosting several squadrons flying the F-15 eagle, one of my favourite military aircraft. The base did not disappoint as we were treated to several waves of eagles including the specially painted aggressor eagles, that were beautiful. The base also offers a viewing terrace where one can enjoy peacefully all the movements and see what is going on on the ramps, something that is rarely seen in other countries in the world.
Gifu
The weather had improved greatly by the time we arrived at Gifu, which is home to the military test wing and also home to various Japanese aircraft manufacturers. We spent a morning at this base, seeing various test types of the Japanese air force, including one F-4E phantom and two F-2s, one in standard blue camouflage colours and one in striking red, white and blue colours. The numerous touch and goes by several T-4s from nearby Hamamatsu made for a very enjoyable morning at this base.
Nagoya – Komaki
Following Gifu, we travelled for about half an hour to Nagoya Komaki airport, home to the C-130s and refuelling tankers of the Japanese Air Force, as well as home to various military MROs and aircraft manufacturing companies. The base was super active on this particular afternoon, including a delivery flight from a Japanese phantom fresh from overhaul that was going back for operational use in Hyakuri. We were very luck to witness such a movement.
It was a truly great trip and despite the challenging weather conditions on two particular days, it was absolutely awesome and I definitely will be back at some point in the near future. The country has so much to offer in terms of variety and quality photographic vantage points that it is a must for anyone who loves military aviation. On to the next trip 😉
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