Japan Airshows 2023

[Uni]

I'll update this list when I get the informations.
"BI" means Blue Impulse flight.

<FY2023, date confirmed>
02 Apr. JASDF Kumagaya, no R/W. 1-3 Helicopters will be displayed.
15 Apr. MCAS Iwakuni, Friendship day with BI
22 Apr. NAF Atsugi, Spring festival(if it is rain, they will open on 23 Apr.),
open 1100-1830.
22 Apr. USAF Kadena, American Fest 2023
23 Apr. USAF Kadena, American Fest 2023
30 Apr. JMSDF Kanoya

14 May. BI fly-by at Marumori town, Miyagi pref..
20 May. USAF/JASDF Yokota, Friendship Festival 2023
21 May. USAF/JASDF Yokota, Friendship Festival 2023
27 May. JGSDF Kita-Utsunomiya
28 May. JASDF Shizuhama
28 May. JASDF Miho with BI
28 May. JMSDF Omura

03 Jun. JASDF Hofu-South, Open 0815-1500
04 Jun. JASDF Hofu-North, Open 0830-1300
17 Jun. BI fly-by at Aomori city, Aomori pref..

02 Jul. JGSDF Okadama (beside Sapporo airport), 0900-1500
14 Jul. BI fly-by at Fukoka city, Fukuoka pref..
15 Jul. JMSDF Hachinohe Summer Festival 0900-1600, P-3C(FLT.) and MQ-9B(static) display.
16 Jul. JMSDF Hachinohe Summer Festival 0900-1600, P-3C(FLT.) and MQ-9B(static) display.
16 Jul. JMSDF Komatsushima, 1000-1500
21 Jul. BI fly-by at Matsushima city, Miyagi pref..
23 Jul. JMSDF Tateyama, "Helicopter Festival in Tateyama 2023", 1000-1500 (base open 0930-1530)
30 Jul. JASDF Chitose with BI、0800-1300

05 Aug. JGSDF Kasuminome
05 Aug. BI fly-by at Ishinomaki city, Miyagi pref..
26 Aug. BI fly-by at Higashi-Matsushima city, Miyagi pref..
27 Aug. JASDF Matsushima with BI
27 Aug. JASDF museum at Hamamatsu, F-15 and F-2 of 1TS static display 0900-1500.
29 Aug.(Tu) JASDF Komaki "Summer Festa 2003" 1500-2000, a few static display (maybe C-130, U-125 and UH-60J)

02 Sep. JMSDF Maizuru, 0930-1530
10 Sep. JASDF Misawa with BI
16 Sep. Fukushima airport festival (small static show) with BI fly-by
17 Sep. JMSDF Hachinohe
24 Sep. BI fly-by at F1 Gp. at Suzuka city, Mie pref..
30 Sep. MCAS Futenma Flight line Fair. Japanese and US passport only.

01 Oct. MCAS Futenma Flight line Fair. Japanese and US passport only.
01 Oct. JGSDF Kisarazu
01 Oct. JMSDF Ozuki
07 Oct. JASDF Komatsu without BI
07 Oct. BI fly-by at Kagoshima city, Kagoshima pref..
15 Oct. JASDF Ashiya with BI
21 Oct. JMSDF Shimofusa
21 Oct. JMSDF Ohminato
29 Oct. JASDF Hamamatsu with BI
29 Oct. JGSDF Tachikawa
11 Nov. Military Air Review at JASDF Iruma, Flights schedules are not open yet. Seems not open to the public.

04 Nov. JGSDF Akeno, Open 0800-1500
12 Nov. JASDF Gifu with BI
18 Nov. JMSDF Tokushima
26 Nov. JASDF Tsuiki with BI

03 Dec. JASDF Nyutabaru with BI
10 Dec. JASDF Naha with BI
16 Dec. JASDF Hyakuri, for invitee only, without B.I..
17 Dec. JASDF Hyakuri, open to the public, without B.I..

07 Jan.2024 JGSDF Narashino training area, "1st. Drop training of the year"(0830-1330, enter by 1200)
20 Jan.2024 JASDF Iruma with BI is CANCELLED, because of the rescue support for the huge earthquake at Noto.
03 Mar.2024 JASDF Komaki
05 May.2024 USMC/USN Iwakuni
18 May.2024 USAF/JASDF Yokota
19 May.2024 USAF/JASDF Yokota

* Blue Impulse schedule 2023(Japanese only)
https://www.mod.go.jp/asdf/pr_report/bl ... /schedule/

That's all today.
Uni

[Uni]

<General>
1. Usually, the JASDF release their open house schedule at around 20th March every year.
( They release only the date before July In these few years, but in 2023, they release almost all airshow schedules on 3 Apr. )

2. Usually, the JGSDF release their open house schedule at early March, because they open their camps at the season of the cherry blossoms(early April) to see.

3. Usually, the JMSDF release their open house schedule about 1-2 month before the event.

4. JASDF/JGSDF/JMSDF are "holiday" on Sat. and Sun. and the National holidays in Japan.
Date of the National holidays are changed every year, so please check them every year(or when you start to think your trip to Japan).
There are no activities except routine maritime patrol, exercise, emergency and /or some special missions.
There are some holidays continually from 29 Apr. to 5 May, so we Japanese call the period as "Golden Week".
There will be no flights In this period (and plus 1-2 days for Sat. and Sun.).

5. There are also No activities on these days;
1) The day of the local school examinations.
2) The day of the Flying Safety in JASDF which is usually 1st. Jul..
3) The year-end and 1st week of the new year(usually, around 25 Dec to 6 Jan.)
4) "O-bon" period, usually around 12 Aug. to 16 Aug..
5) The next day of the airshow or the open house day, except QRA and the transportation flight.

6. Japanese financial year starts on 1st.Apr. and end(close) 31 Mar. It is important !
There are quite less flight from the 3rd. week of March to the The 1st. week of April(around 15 March to 3-4 April).
Because the end of March marks the end of the financial year in Japan.
They used up their budget (including fuels) for the financial year, and maybe busy to write up /finish their paper-works.
They are also busy for the first few days of April, because new financial year starts 1 Apr. in Japan
This means a lot of "old" organization close on 31 Mar. and establish "new" organization on 1 Apr..
So there are a lot of personnel movements, and relative ceremonies at this season.

7. Please check the NOTAM at this site before you visit to the airbase;
https://aisjapan.mlit.go.jp/Login.do
You'll be able to get the time schedule of the mass flight, para-drop, and aerobatic
flights etc., for the airshow training.

8. Step ladder regulations
Almost all the JASDF bases have made regulations for the step ladders at the airshow.
They are different from each airbases and changing year by year.
1) You CAN NOT bring it into the base : Iruma, Hamamatsu, Komatsu, Komaki, Hyakuri and Tsuiki.
2) You can bring it into the base, but prohibit to use during the airshow(especially B.I. show); Chitose.
3) You can bring it into the base, but requested minimum use; Other JASDF base, JMSDF air base and JGSDF air fields.

9. Weathers:
1) Usually around 10 Jun. to 20 Jul. are rainy season in Japan. (In Okinawa, late May to mid Jun. No rainy season in Hokkaido)
2) Usually around late Sep. to mid Oct., there are 2 weeks cloudy or rainy days except Okinawa and Hokkaido.
3) Some typhoons hit in mid Aug. to mid Sep..


<JASDF>
1. General:
One fighter squadron usually has 3 training periods in one day from 0800am to 1700pm.
They start engines at about 0730, taxing to the R/W-end at about 0755, and T/O at just 0800.
They sometimes has "Night" training at the 4th period(1700pm or later).
The "Night" trainig schedule are often uploaded on their base-HP or local city hall's HP.
(But usually written in Japanese only.)

2. F-35A/Bs;
1) JASDF will purchase 147 F-35s in total(incl. 42 F-35Bs).(The Cabinet Decision on 18 Dec., 2018)
(Former plan was 42 F-35As).
2) 39-8740 made her F/F on 7 Dec.2023 If she will be delivered in Jan. 2024, her S/N will change to "4"9-8740.
3) A new F-35B sqn. called "Rinji F-35B hikotai (means temporary F-35B flight squadron)" will establish at Nyutabaru by FY2024-end(Mar. 2025) with 4-6 F-35Bs .
4) One F-15 sqn.(maybe 303 sqn.) at Komatsu will get 4 F-35As in FY2025(Apr.2025-Mar-2026), 8 F-35As in FY2026, and more 8 in FY2027.
One another F-15 sqn.(maybe 306 sqn.) will get 8 F-35As in FY2028.

3. Kawasaki C-1s.(Rev. 21Dec.2023);
1) Active: 001(FTB, Gifu), 002, 021(EC-1, Iruma), 030, 031.
2) The normal C-1s seems to be retired FY2025 or Fy2026.
3) EC-1 will retire by 31Mar. 2025 (by the end of FY2024)

4. Active YS-11EA/EBs;
1) YS-11EA: 12-1162 and 12-1163.
They did not have flights in 2023. 1 or 2 YS-11EA(s) will retire "officially" by the end of FY2024.
2) YS-11EB: 82-1155, 02-1159 and 12-1161. 92-1157 had scrapped.

<JMSDF>
1. UH-60Js of the JMSDF will be disband in near future(by FY2024-end).
About 3 UH-60Js are remain at Iwo-tou (Iwo Island or Iwo-jima) in Dec., 2023
The SDF undertake organizational reform that integrate ground-based aerial search and rescue
functions into the ASDF, which are currently performed by both the MSDF and ASDF.
（Medium Term Defense Program (FY2014-FY2018))
They convert 3 SH-60Ks to the rescue-type for the temporary use.
They are 8455(delivered in mid-Nov. 2023) and 2 others(still in MHI, S/N unknown).
2. U-36A finished their PAR on 22 Aug. 2023. They will be retired in about 3 years.(FY2026-end or in FY2027)
3. US-2 (9901) will be retired by 31 Mar. 2025.
4. There remains 10 SH-60Js at the end of FY2022(Mar.2023). it seems all SH-60Js will retire in FY2023 at JMSDF Ohmura.

<JGSDF>
1. AH-1Ss and AH-64Ds are reducing and they will never use of attack helis any more.
2. OH-1 will be retired in near future.(by 2027)
3. CH-47J seems to be retired by 31 Mar.2024. There are about 3 CH-47Js remaining in JASDF.

<US forces in Japan, General>
1. They fly depend on their schedules and holidays. So when it is Japanese holiday, we can see their training flight.
But they will not fly on the American holidays and day after the Big American football game(s).

<USN in Japan>
1. The CVW-5 usually leave Japan for her six month cruise in mid May and return late November.
2. All the fixed wing Sqn. of the CVW-5 have switched their home base from Atsug to Iwakuni by 30 Mar., 2018.
Only the helicopter Sqn. keep remaining to the Atsugi.(They will not move to Iwakuni)

<USMC in Japan>
1. Subaru(former Fuji Heavy Industry) started their maintenance service for MV-22s at Kisarazu (JGSDF Kisarazu) .

<USAF in Japan>
1. F-15C/Ds had gone (Some are still remains). Some fighters(F-16s or F-35As or F-15Es or F-22s) are often visit to Kadena for TDY.
2. Usually there comes less than 10 a/cs at USAF/JASDF Yokota in one day(0-5 a/cs in the daytime).
Please check this site(Japanese only). http://kokuki-iroiro.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/

<Wrecks and Relics in Japan>
1. Check the spottingmode.com, I myself sometimes write updates there.
2. My blog (Japanese only, https://wrecks.hatenablog.com/) will give you some helps for your trip in Japan.

That's all today.
Uni

[Key]

This is perfect Uni, thank you so much for sharing such a complete overview!

Very best regards,
Erik

[OTT296]

Yes indeed, thanks very much, Uni.

[yukikaze]

4. JASDF/JGSDF/JMSDF are "holiday" on Sat. and Sun. and the National holidays in Japan(Please check the holidays of this year).
There are no activities except routine maritime patrol, exercise, emergency and /or some special missions.
There will be NO flight from 29 Apr. to 7 May. this year.

Hello Uni and everyone, new to the forum here, and also relative newbie to spotting in general. Thanks for your informative post!

I am planning to travel to Japan from 30 April, and was hoping to do some spotting. Noticed this point you raised, so I'd like to seek some clarification, below:

- Do you happen to know why there're no flights during the stated period?
- Does this mean that there is zero chance of seeing any JASDF aircraft in flight at any of their bases?
- Does this apply to American aircraft at their bases as well?

Any other tips/resources for spotting (e.g. where to find information on training schedules, if any, or general tips on good locations, expected behaviour, etc.) are welcome. Looking forward to the replies, thank you!

[Starman]

https://flyteam.jp/news/article/138713
Hofu confirmed June 4th with "Blues"

[Uni]

Hi yukikaze,

- Do you happen to know why there're no flights during the stated period?
Ah, the period, it is Japanese habit(or custom or culture).
Perhaps travel guide book(s) in your country describe about the Japanese holidays more accurately.

- Does this mean that there is zero chance of seeing any JASDF aircraft in flight at any of their bases?
As I describe above, routine maritime patrol, exercise, emergency and /or some special missions are done in those period.
Usually, 2-3 Maritime patrol a/cs(P-3C or P-1) will fly in one day at JMSDF Hachinoe, Atsugi, Kanoya and Naha.
Usually, 0-2 C-1 or C-2 or U-4 will fly from JASDF Iruma or Miho for special transportation mission.
Usually, no exercise in those period.
You can see QRA mission when "unknown" comes to Japan.

- Does this apply to American aircraft at their bases as well?
US aircrafts will fly depends on their schedules and holidays.
So we(Japanese spotters) often go to "American bases in Japan" in those period.

Unfortunately, there are a few persons who come Japan to spotting in those period every year.
I recommend you to go to Okinawa(Kadena or Futenma), Taiwan or South-Korea in this period.

Uni

[yukikaze]

Thank you Uni-san for your detailed answer! I understand now, that week happens to be the series of Japanese holidays that make up Golden Week.

For the bases, I've narrowed my choices down to either Atsugi or Yokota now. Maybe we'll bump into each other there? Unfortunately due to personal circumstances, I can only travel to Japan during this period, but I'll definitely come back again during other favourable times.

Your insight is greatly appreciated!

Cheers
Yukikaze

[hjgmil]

Hello,

Does anyone know if Hyakuri is having an airshow this year (2023), If yes, has a date been confirmed.

Thanks for your help.
hjg

[skippyscage]

Hello,

Does anyone know if Hyakuri is having an airshow this year (2023), If yes, has a date been confirmed.

Thanks for your help.
hjg

as the very first post says, it'll be updated when dates are known etc

that post (Last edited by Uni on 27 Apr 2023, 05:27, edited 8 times in total.)

[Uni]

Hi all,

JASDF Hyakuri airshow will be 16 and 17 Dec., this year !

16 Dec. JASDF Hyakuri, for invitee only, without B.I..
17 Dec. JASDF Hyakuri, open to the public, without B.I..

Uni

[a.kg]

The opening times of Hyakuri Peace Park (aka the Towers) is more restricted than before the retirement of F-4s, below info is from the team who runs the park: "Currently, it is not open to the public on weekdays. The park opens on special occasions such as Japan-U.S. joint training exercises."

[orange]

Better late than never:

Akeno airshow 4 November 2023

Static:
AH-1S 73462/S
OH-1 32602/TE
UH-2 45152/S
TH-480B 62360/S
V-22B 91705 8 Hikotai
UH-60J-II 88-4607 ARTS Komaki
SH-60K 8439 51 Kokutai
AW139 JA964A Coast Guard
A109E JA10ME Police
Bell 505 JA88DR Seco International
Squadron markings on the V-22B were removed before the aircraft flew home.

Hangar behind static (open):
AH-1S 73476/VATH
TH-480B 62351/S, 62352/S, 62358/S

Hangar 5 ATH (viewed from outside base):
AH-1S 73466/VATH
OH-1 32601/(TE), 32603/(TE)
No rotors and big tarpaulins on both OH-1s, unit code assumed

Flightline in front of crowd:
AH-1S 73459/S, 73489/S, 73456/SD, 73478/VATH
OH-1 32604/TE, 32626/VATH, 32633
UH-1J 41827/SD, 41847/X, 41862/X
UH-2 45151/TE, 45156/S, 45157/S
TH-480B 62353/S, 62354/S, 62357/S, 62359/S
All flew. No unit code on OH-1 32633.

Flying from eastern ramps:
UH-1J 41867/SD, 41885/X
UH-2 45153/S
CH-47J 52926/SK
UH-60JA 43123/S, 43138/XIIH
The Chinook spent two hours making short taxi runs around base with 'lucky' raffle winners. UH-1J 41885 arrived late morning. UH-2 45153 performed a weather check around 08.00 AM.

Parked near static:
UH-60JA 43105
No unit code.

Parked in grass near East hangar:
TH-480B 62356/S

East hangar (viewed from outside base):
OH-1 32619, 32624
Unit codes not noted.

Flying only:
F-2B 63-8102 ADTW
F-15J 12-8928 ADTW
T-4 76-5755 31 Kyoiku Hikotai
T-7 46-5911, 66-5939 11 Hiko Kyoikudan