KASAI, Hyogo Prefecture--The usual quiet in an area of rice paddies and farm fields was disrupted by a crowd of curious onlookers early on a Sunday in July.

They descended on a 1,200-meter airstrip along the fresh green landscape for a glimpse into the somber past of the area.

On display at the former site of the Uzurano airfield was a full-size replica of the Shiden Kai fighter plane used during World War II.

The airfield was used for two objectives: pilot training and aircraft assembly for the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Kasai city officials want visitors to the area to remember the boys and men who had trained there for air battles that ended their young lives.

Among those in the crowd were a boy, a young couple and a man who was born before the war ended. They stared at the plane and took photos.

Looking around at the crowd, Akio Uetani, 81, a member of the Uzurano peace memorial preservation group, asked, “Why do you think a fighter exists here?”

The construction of an unpaved runway started in March 1943 after residents were forced out of the site. The Himeji naval air force was introduced in October that year to train pilots from across the nation.

Trainees underwent three months of air battle drills. And then they were sent to the front.

About 500 servicemen are said to have trained at Uzurano.

An enemy invasion of Okinawa became increasingly likely in February 1945 as the tide of the war had turned against Japan.

The Hakuro (white heron) special attack unit involving instructors and trainees was set up at the airfield. It was named after nearby Himeji Castle, which is likened to the bird species based on its magnificent appearance.

On March 23, 1945, 72 servicemen departed for the Usa base in Oita Prefecture and advanced further to the Kushira camp in Kagoshima Prefecture.

They went on six different missions from April 6 through May. Sixty-three of the pilots died in battle.

Kawanishi Aircraft Co., the predecessor of ShinMaywa Industries Ltd., in 1944 opened an assembly plant at Uzurano with an eye on increasing production of the Shiden aircraft and its successor, the Shiden Kai.

The concrete runway still in existence was used for trial flights of completed aircraft. If they met certain standards, the planes were delivered to the Imperial Japanese Navy. The facility assembled 466 Shiden and 46 Shiden Kai.

PASSING DOWN HISTORY

The Uzurano airfield and the surrounding wartime remains are currently being turned into a place that will remind visitors of the difficult times during the war.

The Kasai city government four years ago bought the former site of the airfield from the central government.

In fiscal 2019, the city set up the Uzurano future department to start full-fledged efforts to preserve and take advantage of the war ruins. The department has worked with Uetani and others who had been surveying the history earlier than the municipality.

Through a citizens’ workshop and other sessions, the city decided to show the Shiden Kai model to the public twice a month.

In June this year, a theater event started at an air raid shelter where a generator used to supply power to the airfield.

Participants can see the image of a special unit member on a screen reading aloud his farewell note immediately before going on a mission.

The content of the letter addressed to the family of the Hakuro unit serviceman is shown on the wall in the shelter in the cold underground air.

“Please forgive me for dying before you,” a quivering voice says. “Take care of yourself, mom.”

The setting in the real wartime facility makes visitors feel as if they are hearing an actual soldier’s recitation.

The 20-minute free tour requires reservations. It is fully booked until September.

The municipal government is also moving ahead with a plan to promote an “outdoor museum” zone that is home to a bomb storehouse and other war ruins scattered throughout the region.

In addition, the city is developing a hiking course and introducing a shuttle bus service to carry visitors to the region from a nearby station.

A new facility is scheduled for opening in spring 2022 to provide tourist information and permanently exhibit a Shiden Kai model.

Uetani, who has been studying the history of the Uzurano airfield for more than 25 years, emphasized the significance of the wartime remains.

“We must remember many young people in their teens to 20s were killed at the time,” he said. “War ruins are storytellers who pass down the fading memories of warfare to posterity.”