is a museum located in
Yamanashi prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 817,192 (1 January 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
. Founded in 1981
[J-HangarSpace - Aviation Museums](_blank)
Retrieved September 1, 2016 by former race driver and businessman Nobuo Harada,
''Warbirds News'' Retrieved August 30, 2016 it has a collection of antique motor vehicles. In 2001 it opened a new area to display a collection of 20th century military aircraft used by Japan, from Japanese Imperial Forces during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
and the
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, th ...
in the postwar period.
Aircraft restorations
Nobuo Harada and his team made a number of trips to former Pacific battlefields and recovered a number of wrecks of Japanese aircraft from
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. Subsequently, they restored three complete
Mitsubishi A6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M w ...
fighters, and the skeleton of another. One of the complete aircraft is now displayed in the lobby of the
Yūshūkan
The ("Place to commune with a noble soul") is a Japanese military and war museum located within Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda, Tokyo. As a museum maintained by the shrine, which is dedicated to the souls of soldiers who died fighting on behalf of th ...
museum adjoining
Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, 1894–1895 and 1937–1945 resp ...
in Tokyo.
Harada and his team also recovered the damaged rear fuselage of a
Mitsubishi G4M Betty bomber of the
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.
The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 ...
. The forward fuselage was later built by them from scratch. The museum subsequently restored a
Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa/Oscar fighter. of the
Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ja, 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊, Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai, lit=Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps) was the aviation force of the Im ...
Photography
The museum does not allow photography other than that done by mobile phones.
Aircraft on display
The aircraft on display can vary from year to year.
* ''61-1127''
Curtiss C-46 Commando
The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company pub ...
(
Japan Air Self-Defence Force)
* ''Unknown s/n''
Grumman S-2F Tracker (
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
)
* ''51-5639''
Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (
Japan Air Self-Defence Force)
* ''26-5007''
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic air superiority fighter which was extensively deployed as a fighter-bomber during the Cold War. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the "Century Series" of fi ...
(
Japan Air Self-Defence Force)
* '' 91518''
Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Model 21 (
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.
The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 ...
)
* ''1493''
Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero Model 52 (
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.
The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 ...
)
* ''12107''
Mitsubishi G4M2 BettyG4M2 Model 12 Betty Manufacture Number 12017 Tail 62-22
''Pacific Wrecks'' Retrieved August 19, 2016 (Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.
The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 ...
)
* ''02-7970'' North American F-86F Sabre ( Japan Air Self-Defence Force)
* ''02-7960'' North American F-86F Sabre ( Japan Air Self-Defence Force)
* ''52-0098'' North American T-6G Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...
( Japan Air Self-Defence Force)
* ''51-5639'' Sikorsky H-19C Chickasaw (Japan Ground Self-Defence Force
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
)
* ''12045'' Piper L-19B Super Cub (National Safety Force
The , or NPR, was a lightly armed national police force established in August 1950 during the Allied occupation of Japan. In October 1952, it was expanded to 110,000 men and renamed as the . On July 1, 1954, it was reorganized as the Japan Ground ...
)
* Yokosuka K5Y
The was a two-seat unequal- span biplane trainer that served in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Due to its bright orange paint scheme (applied to all Japanese military trainers for visibility), it earned the nickname ''"aka-tom ...
(replica) (Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.
The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 ...
)
* Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka
The Yokosuka MXY-7 was a purpose-built, rocket-powered human-guided '' kamikaze'' attack aircraft employed by Japan against Allied ships towards the end of the Pacific War during World War II. Although extremely fast, the very short range of ...
(Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.
The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 ...
)
* Wright Flyer
The ''Wright Flyer'' (also known as the ''Kitty Hawk'', ''Flyer'' I or the 1903 ''Flyer'') made the first sustained flight by a manned heavier-than-air powered and controlled aircraft—an airplane—on December 17, 1903. Invented and flown b ...
(replica)
Gallery
File:Yokosuka K5Y replica.jpg, Yokosuka K5Y
The was a two-seat unequal- span biplane trainer that served in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Due to its bright orange paint scheme (applied to all Japanese military trainers for visibility), it earned the nickname ''"aka-tom ...
(replica)
File:Lockheed F-104DJ Starfighter (26-5007) at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.jpg, Lockheed F-104DJ Starfighter (26-5007)
File:North American F-86F Sabre (02-7970) at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.jpg, North American F-86F Sabre (02-7970)
File:Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star trainer at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum.jpg, Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...
(51-5639)
File:North American T-6G Texan (52-0098) at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.jpg, North American T-6G Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...
(52-0098)
File:Piper L-21 Super Cub at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.jpg, Piper L-21 Super Cub
File:Former USN Grumman S-2F1 Tracker at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.jpg, Grumman S-2F1 Tracker (US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
)
File:Sikorsky H-19C Chickasaw (40012) at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.jpg, Sikorsky H-19C Chickasaw (40012)
File:Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.jpg, Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka
The Yokosuka MXY-7 was a purpose-built, rocket-powered human-guided '' kamikaze'' attack aircraft employed by Japan against Allied ships towards the end of the Pacific War during World War II. Although extremely fast, the very short range of ...
File:Mitsubishi G4M2 Betty (12107) at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.jpg, Mitsubishi G4M2 Betty (12107)
File:Curtiss C-46D Commando (61-1127) at Kawaguchi Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.jpg, Curtiss C-46D Commando (61-1127)
File:Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero Model 52 (1493) Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.jpg, Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero Model 52 (1493)
File:Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Model 21 (91518) at Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.jpg, Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Model 21 (91518)
Access
The museum is open every day in August, but closed to the public for the rest of the year. It is accessible by car, and there is also a bus station for an infrequent local community bus across the street from the museum.
See also
*List of aerospace museums
This is a list of aviation museums and museums that contain significant aerospace-related exhibits throughout the world. The aviation museums are listed alphabetically by country and their article name.
Afghanistan
* OMAR Mine Museum, Kabul - inc ...
References
External links
Official website
{{authority control
Automobile museums in Japan
History museums in Japan
Aerospace museums in Japan
Military and war museums in Japan
Museums in Yamanashi Prefecture
Museums established in 1981
1981 establishments in Japan
Narusawa, Yamanashi