If you are interested in historic aviation from WW2 and into the post war years then you simply MUST visit the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force Naval Aviation Museum in Kanoya, southern Japan! Seeing the Emily floatplane alone is worth the trip. Some other highlights being the Japanese versions of Neptunes (1 piston, 1 turbo prop), Tracker, C47, Beech 18 and the impressive Shinmeiwa US-1 seaplane.
Internal & External Aircraft | Gift Shop | Restaurant | Toilets | Entrance Fee
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| Thrilled to see English on the signs! |
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| Kanoya town |
I was on a 2 week tour of Japan and made a large effort to travel down from Hiroshima to this museum and it was well worth it. If travelling down from the mid / north part of Japan I suggest an over night stop in Kagoshima and then getting the coach from Kagoshima airport round to Kanoya.
To do this you must first get a coach from Kagoshima bus station to Kagoshima Aiport (about 40 minutes) but the airport itself has a small museum filled with models! From here you catch a coach to Kanoya bus station which takes about 2 hours, the museum is a 20 minute walk from here.
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| The 4 engined Emily float plane is the real highlight here and it is the first aircraft you see upon approach, what a sight it is through the bushes! |
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| Museum layout |
Most of the aircraft are outside and most are looking good externally. The Zero is indoors and looks fantastic. The Kamikaze exhibition is very interesting and moving. You can sit in the nose section of a Neptune and also a license built Sea King helicopter. The displays are all in Japanese and no English guide book is available, however the staff are really friendly and speak some English which is enough to help. They were kind enough to show me the English version of the JMSDF aviation history video in the theatre. As the museum is next door to an active base you will likely see various helicopters and P3 Orions flying around.
The Zero
A full 360 degree walk around and steps up to the cockpit
Models, uniforms, memoirs and a Kamikaze exhibition are fascinating. The hands on section allows you on board various sections of a Neptune and Sea King.
The E
The Kawnishi HBK2 "Emily"
Sole surviving axis four engined seaplane. The aircraft is in a separate fenced off location to the other external aircraft. A path allows 360 walk around of the airframe and you can back away to get shots of the whole aircraft. The interior is closed but is supposedly complete and covered in a protective paint.
Its history is quite interesting. Captured by the US Navy at the end of the war, it was evaluated in the US and then placed in storage for possible museum display. In 1979 it was returned to Japan in 1979 making it unique in that it was a returned war prize! It was on display in Tokyo until 2004 when it was transferred to the museum in Kanoya.
External Aircraft
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| Shinmeiwa US-1 seaplane is a mighty looking beast! |
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