is a private airfield in the town of Kawajima

Kawajima, Saitama

is a town located in Hiki District, Saitama, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 23,028 and a density of 551.97 persons per km². The total area is 41.72 km².-External links:*...

, Hiki District

Hiki District, Saitama

is a district located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 145,235 and a population density of 515.31 persons per square kilometer...

, and the city of Okegawa

Okegawa, Saitama

is a city located in Saitama, Japan. It was founded on November 3, 1970, and as of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 73,881 and the density of 2,924.82 persons per km²...

, both in Saitama Prefecture

Saitama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. Another name for it is Okegawa Airfield. The operator is Honda Airways, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

Honda

is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...

Data

The location of the airfield is 35°58'21" north latitude, 139°31'42" east longitude. The elevation is 11.9 m (39 ft), has a single runway measuring 600 metre and an area of 59 ha (145.8 acre). It operates from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (or sunset).

Prior to World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army

Imperial Japanese Army

-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...

 developed the site and operated it as Kawataya Airfield. It was established as Honda Airfield in 1964, and received a license for aircraft to operate there in 1967. Helicopter operations commenced in 1975, and in 2003, the Tochigi Prefecture

Tochigi Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...

disaster-prevention helicopter began operating there. Saitama Prefecture also operates at Honda.

Honda Airways operates sightseeing, aerial photography and surveying, advertising and publicity flights.

The airfield also serves as a shooting location for television dramas.

External links

• Honda Air Web site (in Japanese)