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 between 100,000 (bad weather day) and 200,000 (good weather day) spectators annually. However, in both 2020 and 2021 the event was cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak. In 2021, they had an online event on Youtube, via local radio station FM Chappy. It won’t be anything like a usual year, but they will be introducing the Iruma Air base and various self defense force vehicles. The video link will go live at noon on November 3rd. But in 2022, it is back…
Iruma Air Show in 2022
The Iruma Air Show is back and open to the public in 2022. However, they are limiting the number of people who attend and you need to apply in advance to be one of them. The booking registration opens today, Wednesday October 12th 2022 and will remain open until Monday October 24th.
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 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.
(*Once upon a time, you could barbecue in the park too, but that has been forbidden for several years now).
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 usually from 9 am to 3 pm. However, in 2022 it is on from 8 am to 1 pm. The gates will open at their usual 8 am.
2022 Specific
Another big change is that there will be no Blue Impulse demonstration in 2022. There will be exhibition flights of such planes as the C-1、C-2、U-4、T-4、U-125、U-680A、and CH-47J. Ground exhibitions include the Patriot, F-15、F-2、C-1、C-2、U-4、T-4、U-125、U-680A、CH-47J、UH-60J、U-125A、T-7、T-400 and C-130H. In addition, there will be public relation officers on site, a concert by the air force band and a security dog show.
Advance Application
Translated from the official website
This air festival can only be attended by those who have applied in advance, general application or paid seats (lottery if there are many applicants), or have an invitation. *Persons who do not have the above will not be allowed to enter the base.
*Advance application can only be applied from the dedicated website, and cannot be applied by phone or postcard. For pre-application, please see here (reservation-only site).
For inquiries regarding reservation reception, please contact
Official website
0570-783-373
The link to the advance application dedicated site is on that page linked above. Please note, you can’t seem to apply through anything other than a mobile phone.
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). That information is not available for 2022. Presumably successful applicants will be provided with that information directly this year.
Full information in English about the FREE event in Iruma Air Base – FOR A NORMAL YEAR:
You can also usually get information in Japanese on the Fly Team website.
Official Iruma Air Base website
Other air base events on this blog:
Kumagaya Air Base annual cherry blossom festival
Iruma Air base Summer evening festival
2016.10.22
all these things to look forward too! 🙂