The Iruma Air base air show happens annually on the 3rd of November. November 3rd is a public holiday in Japan for Culture Day. This is a popular event that attracts thousands of spectators. However, in 2020 the event was cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak. It is too soon to tell if the event will be able to go ahead in 2021. I will update nearer the time.
For many years we watched this show from Aina Water Park. The park is near enough to the base to have a view, but far enough away that we didn’t get caught up in the people and vehicular traffic. The beauty of such a location is not only that you are away from the throngs, but that you can also barbecue or picnic at the same time and the kids had lots of space to run around. Disclaimer: there are no guarantees that you can see the show from Aina Water Park annually.
Furthermore, the benefit of watching it from the base (other than having a guaranteed view, weather permitting) is that are also food stalls and other attractions. Moreover, you can normally enter the base from as early as 8 am. The event itself is from 9 am to 3 pm.
Access the Iruma Air Base Air show
You can normally get a special bus from either Inariyama Koen station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line or from Sayama Station on the Seibu Shinjuku line. (Inariyama Park also features on this blog here). However, please note that even if the event goes ahead in 2021, there is a chance the shuttle bus will not run.
Full information in English about the FREE event in Iruma Air Base:
https://tokyocheapo.com/events/iruma-air-show/
You can also get up-to-date information in Japanese on the Fly Team website (click).
Other air base events on this blog:
Kumagaya Air Base annual cherry blossom festival
Iruma Air base Summer evening festival
No. The Iruma Air Show has been cancelled on account of the Coronavirus outbreak.