Follows Explosion at Another Japanese Airfield in October

The Japanese government will be conducting magnetic surveys to check for unexploded World War II-era bombs at Naha Airport, the largest commercial field in Okinawa, on December 16. This follows inspections at another major Japanese airport after a WWII bomb exploded in October.

The nation has been aware of the buried bomb issue for years. One was found at Miyazaki Airport near the side of the runway in 2011, causing the airport to shut down and more than 20 flights to be canceled. Another was found during construction on the tarmac in June 2021.

Even now, nearly 80 years after World War II came to an end, unexploded ordnance continues to pop up around Japan. The significance of this issue was realized when a long-buried bomb blew up in early October at Miyazaki Airport in Kyushu. An aircraft passed the site a mere two minutes before the explosion occurred.

This incident led Japan’s government to open an emergency investigation for five major airports: Miyazaki, Sendai, Matsuyama, Fukuoka, and Naha. All of these lie in regions that previously held facilities for Japan’s Imperial Army.

Miyazaki was, obviously, first on the list for a check-up. Now, the Japanese government will be starting its next round of magnetic surveys on Naha Airport in Okinawa.

The Imperial Japanese Navy opened an airfield in 1933 on the grounds of what is now Naha Airport. The US sent aircraft to attack the field in 1944, then again during the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. US forces took control of it until 1972. Current data shows that upwards of 175 unexploded WWII bombs, along with guns, have been found on the airport’s grounds since.

Three US-made bombs, weighing 250 kg each, were found at Naha during runway construction in April 2020. Eight have been found in 2024.

Japanese authorities claim that the airports were checked for unexploded bombs when they began operations and before undergoing expansions. However, this statement remains unconfirmed as many old documents were tossed out.

FMI: www.naha-airport.co.jp/en