Gannosu Airfield

Fukuoka Daiichi Airfield was once established by the Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in Gannosu, Wajiro-mura, Kasuya-gun (present-day Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City), Fukuoka Prefecture. It is also known as Gannosu Airfield. It was the largest civilian airfield in Japan in the prewar period, with routes to Korea, Taiwan, the Republic of China, Manchukuo, and Southeast Asia operated by Dai Nippon Airways.

Although regular civilian flights had been operated at the Otoarai Army Airfield since 1929, Otoarai was far from the Fukuoka urban area, making it less convenient. At the time, there was the Fukuoka Airfield (Nashima Seaplane Airfield) in the vicinity of Fukuoka City, which was dedicated to seaplanes, but an airfield capable of operating land-based aircraft was required, so candidate sites around the city were investigated and selected, and in 1934, Gannosu was chosen.

Construction began in January 1935 at a total cost of 590,000 yen, and a runway (600 x 30 m) was built on a site of 590,000 square meters, a seaplane runway (80 m) and two hangars were built on the beach, and the airport opened the following June 1, 1936. Some documents state that "as of October 1936, the runway area was 550m east to west and 800m north to south. Fukuoka - Naha - Taipei was opened, and the following year, an express service between Tokyo - Fukuoka - Keijo - Sinkyo was opened.

In the wartime regime

From 1939, a large-scale expansion project was undertaken in a three-year plan, including the relocation of the Hakata Bay Railway Steamship Kasuya Line (now the Kashii Line) to the north side of the port. In 1940, a range beacon was installed at Fukuoka. During the Pacific War, the airport became a military airport, with a naval air force stationed there.

After the War

After the war, the airport was confiscated by the U.S. military and used mainly as an airfield for transport units under the name Brady Air Base (facility number: FAC 5006), but in 1961, the Japan-U.S. Joint Commission merged Camp Hakata, Brady Air Base, and Nishitosaki Communication Facility into Gannosu As of 1955, the runways were 1280m x 45 (steel mat) and 1158m x 30m (asphalt). After the Korean War, the Self-Defense Forces used the runway for paratrooping training (see Kashii Camp) as a temporary measure, and reciprocating aircraft and helicopters from Nishi Nippon Airways, Fukuoka Prefectural Police, etc. shared part of the runway and hangars. The construction of a large antenna for communications interception and an operation facility began in 1965, and the pavement of the runway was removed when the joint use ceased, effectively ending the airfield's function as an airfield. The communications facilities were completed in February 1966, and included the 14th U.S. Army Security Agency Field Station, Naval Security Group Activity, Hakata, However, due to reductions in the U.S. defense budget and the number of troops deployed overseas, the facility was closed and the airfield portion of the station was closed down. The airfield portion was closed in 1972, and the entire Gannosu Air Force Base was returned in 1977.

Gannosu Airfield in 1974

Hakata Station, 1941

The name Hakata (博多) has been used since the Six Kingdoms Era (六国史, Rikkokushi, 8 - 9 cen.), which corresponds with the periods extending from the Asuka to early Heian periods.

During the Tang Dynasty in China (618 - 907), Hakata was a trading port and was known on the Asian continent written as 覇家臺 (Bàjiātaí) or 覇家台 (both are read as “Hakata” in Japanese) and “Hakkakujima” (八角島, lit. “8-cornered island” or “star anise island”). In addition, the port town was introduced in the Ming Dynasty book “Wǔbèi Zhì” (武備志, lit. “Military Preparation Records”). It was also called Hana Asahi Tazu (花旭塔津). Regardless of its name, Hakata functioned as one of only three ports in Japan dealing with foreign trade and missions.

Hakata (博多) has a number of possible origins:

• 土地博（ひろ）く人・物産多し, meaning "the land is expansive, with many people and products")

• 羽形 (Hagata) from the shape of the land which appears like a large bird spreading its wings

• 泊潟 (Tomari-gata), from the lagoon where ships once left for overseas berths

• 羽片 (Hagata), meaning the feather of a crane that fell after being shto (the crane's grave is at Enosha in Dazaifu City)

• 葉形 (Hagata) from the leaves that fell off a large tree that was cut, and so on.

The name 博多 (Hakata) was also used in ancient times to refer to the area facing present-day Hakata Bay.

The original Hakata Station (pictured above) was built in 1889 (Meiji 22), when Kyūshū Railway constructed the region’s first railway line at the southern end of the grounds of Jotenji Temple (near present-day Dekimachi Park in Fukuoka).

It’s a shame they didn’t keep this building. It could have been used as a museum.

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Shinburyo

Shinburyo was a facility located within the Imperial Japanese Army's 6th Air Force Headquarters in what is now Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and was said to have housed surviving kamikaze pilots until their next sortie. . It was established by requisitioning the dormitory of Fukuoka Girls' High School (currently Fukuoka Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School), which was located across the road from Fukuoka Girls' High School (currently Fukuoka Prefectural Fukuoka Chuo High School), where the military headquarters was located. After the war, the Fukuoka City Kyuden Memorial Gymnasium was built at the location, but it closed on March 31, 2019. It was managed by several air staff members from the headquarters of the 6th Air Force (commander was Lieutenant General Michihiro Sugawara), one of whom is said to be Major Kiyotada Kurasawa. Although it remained unknown for a long time after the war, its existence was revealed after the movie “Summer of Moonlight'' was shown in 1993.

Tōakangyō Expo

When I first moved to Fukuoka, all people were talking about was Yokatopia, an expo held in the Momochi-hama area back in 1989. Interestingly, I have never heard a peep about an even bigger expo that was held in 1936: the Far East Agriculture and Industry Promotion Exposition (東亜勧業博覧会, Tōakangyō Hakurankai).

I will try to summarize the following later.

１、昭和初期（しょうわしょき）の生活（せいかつ）と文化（ぶんか） 昭和の幕開（まくあ）けは1926年12月25日。不況と政治腐敗、軍部勢力の台頭（たいとう）など暗い社会状況ながら、都市の庶民生活には明るい文化の熟成（じゅくせい）が見られました。

都市化（としか）と市民文化（しみんぶんか）

昭和初期の日本では、電気やガス、水道が都市に飛躍的に普及し、都市民の生活を大きく変えた。また、交通網が発達し、地方鉄道が開通して、人々が都市へ出かけて行くようになったことも、生活の変化を一層促進した。

都市には商店街やデパート（百貨店）があり、人々が自由に商品を見て回ることができた。この時期は「見る」ということが、大正時代前半頃までに比べ、より大きな意味を持つようになった。都市は「見る」ことに対する要求を生む場所であり、またそれに応える場でもあったのである。

東亜勧業博覧会（とうあかんぎょうはくらんかい）

昭和2（1927）年3月25日より5月23日まで、大濠（おおほり）西側一帯で開催された。

日本は大正9（1920）年の戦後恐慌（第1次世界大戦による好景気の後の恐慌）以来、経済不況に見舞われていた。この博覧会は、このような経済状況を活性化させるため、大正13年より準備が進められていた。大正15年12月25日大正天皇が亡（な）くなり、昭和元年となったため、博覧会の会期は大正天皇の喪中であったが、出品総数は384,573点、観覧者数は1,603,472人（当時の福岡市の人口は約15万人）にのぼった。

会場にはロマネスク様式の本館や、教育館、農業館などのパビリオンがあった。また「朝鮮館」「台湾館」「満蒙（まんもう）館」（満蒙は満州・蒙古の意で、中国東北地区やモンゴルを指す）があり、「外国館」でも中国や東南アジア諸国についての展示が行われた。 ２、戦時下（せんじか）のくらし

（1）15年戦争（じゅうごねんせんそう）の始（はじ）まり

昭和6（1931）年9月18日からの満州事変をきっかけに、日本は15年も続く中国との戦争の時代に入りました。 満州事変（まんしゅうじへん） 昭和6（1931）年9月18日、中国奉天（現在の中華人民共和国遼寧省瀋陽）郊外柳条湖の南満州鉄道線路上で起った爆発をきっかけに、日本軍（関東軍）が中国軍を攻撃した柳条湖事件から始まる一連の戦争をいう。日本軍は引続き中国東北部を攻撃し、翌7年3月には「満州国」を成立させた。事件の拡大に消極的だった犬養毅首相が暗殺され（五・一五事件)、国際連盟で満州国の不承認が決まると、日本は国際連盟を脱退した。

博多築港修築工事（はかたちっこうしゅうちくこうじ）

博多港は明治32（1899）年開港場に指定されるなど、重要な港湾として発展してきた。修築計画は常に議論されてきたが、なかなかまとまらず、昭和6（1931）年ようやく工事に着手した（第1期工事） 。この背景には、東亜勧業博覧会（昭和2年）の成功で福岡市の商況が浮揚したことがある。

一方、満州国の成立（昭和7年3月）により、地理的に中国大陸や朝鮮半島に近い博多港の重要性が増し、昭和12年、第1期工事に続き第2期工事も行われた（～昭和16年） 。

さらに昭和16年12月太平洋戦争が始まると、博多港は「国策港（こくさくこう）」（国の重要な政策として位置づけられる港湾の意）として、昭和17年より第3期工事に入った。

博多築港記念大博覧会（はかたちっこうきねんだいはくらんかい）

博多築港修築第1期工事の完成を前に、それを記念して開かれた。工事の一環として造成された新埋立地（現在の福岡市中央区長浜（ながはま））7万5,000坪の敷地に大・小約20のパビリオンが設けられた。その中には国防館や軍需工業館、経済更生館などの展示館もあった。昭和11（1936）年3月25日から5月13日までの会期中に、およそ161万人もの観覧者を集めた。

http://museum.city.fukuoka.jp/archives/leaflet/080/index02.html

Streetcars of Fukuoka

Some old maps and photos of Fukuoka's streetcars. There were seven lines in total (See below) and if I am not mistaken they were dismantled in February of 1979 and replaced with buses. The city's first subway line opened in 1985.

Kitakyushu's streetcar was still running when I lived there in 1992~3. Took FOREVER to travel from Orio in the west to Kokura in the east.

The street cars were managed by a succession of companies.

運営者: 福博電気軌道・博多電気軌道→東邦電力・九州水力電気→福博電車→西日本鉄道

The seven lines included: 貫線（かんせん）・循環線（じゅんかんせん）・城南線（じょうなんせん）・呉服町線（ごふくまちせん）・貝塚線（かいづかせん）・吉塚線（よしづかせん）・築港線（ちっこうせん、貨物線）の7路線があった。

12th Infantry

Marker indicating the location of the Headquarters of the 12th Infantry Brigade, Fukuoka Regiment (歩兵第十二旅團司令 福岡聯隊區司令部) in Heiwadai. Apparently, the headquarters were transferred to Kokura.

From Wiki:

The 12th Division (第12師団, Dai Jūni Shidan)was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its tsūshōgō code name was the Sword Division (剣兵団, Ken-heidan), and its military symbol was 12D. The 12th Division was one of six new infantry divisions raised by the Imperial Japanese Army after the First Sino-Japanese War(1894–1895). The division received its colors on 1 October 1898 and disbanded in September 1945. Its troops were recruited primarily from communities in the northern portion of the island of Kyūshū [1]and it was originally headquartered within Kokura Castle.

During the Russo-Japanese War, under the command of Lieutenant General Inoue Hikaru, the division deployed to Manchuria as part of the 1st army. It returned to Kokura after the war, and was deployed again to the continent during the Japanese intervention in Siberia from 19 August 1918.[2] The divisional arsenal in Kokura Castle was used meanwhile to supply other units. The participation in the Siberian Intervention has ended 19 July 1919, but resumed again briefly in 1921. The 12th Division headquarters was relocated to Kurume, another city in Fukuoka prefecture in 1925. In February 1932, following the First Shanghai Incident, the IJA 24th Infantry Regiment of the 12th Division was reinforced with additional artillery units, becoming the 24th Mixed Brigade, which was deployed to Shanghai, and which was later (from April 1936) assigned to Manchukuo. During that period, the 12th division was an elite unit, sporting an disproportionately large amount of firepower and heavy equipment.

In 1940, the division was reorganized into a triangular division, with its IJA 14th Infantry Regiment joining the IJA 25th Division. The 12th Division, under Lieutenant General Masakazu Kawabe was then permanently relocated to Manchukuo from July 1940, coming under the control of the Japanese Third Army in Dongning and was used primarily for policing and anti-partisan activities. The 56th division took the now vacant Kurume headquarters.

However, in 1944 as the Pacific War situation became increasing unfavorable for Japan, the 12th Division was transferred to Hsinchu, Taiwan, where it bolstered the defenses of the 10th area army (and to the 40th army in time it was based on Taiwan in early 1945) against a possible Allied invasion. However, the Allies bypassed Taiwan and landed on Okinawa instead, so the 12th Division ended World War II as a garrison force in Taiwan without having seen combat.

Early Showa Tenjin

Aerial view of Tenjin in the early Shōwa Period (late 20s ~ early 30s) above and Tenjin today below.

Kamakura Era Hakata

I posted another map that is similar to this, but not as detailed. For an interactive version of this map, go here.

From Fukoka City Library’s website:

鎌倉期から室町期の 博多を、様々な文献から推定して描かれた前期の 博多古図に属する絵図です。
説明書きに『石城志』が引用されていることから、明和２年（１７６５）以降の成立と推定されます。
松囃子や 博多町割りなどの説明書きも付され、名所案内の趣もあります。

Translation:

This is an illustration belonging to the Hakata Kozu (Hakata Old Map) of the early period, which depicts Hakata from the Kamakura to Muromachi periods, based on various documents. It is presumed to have been drawn in 1765 or later, as the explanatory notes cite “Ishijo Shi” (The History of the City of Stone Castle). It also includes explanatory notes on the Matsu-hayashi music and the division of Hakata town, giving it the feel of a guide to famous places of interest.

Imaizumi, 1688

This is what Kego and Imaizumi looked like in 1688. The diagonal river at the top is where Kokutai-dōro is today.

The north south road with two large white squares is Shōnin-bashi-dōri, with the white square on the left being Kōshōji (香正寺), a Nichiren Buddhist temple, and the white square kitty-corner from it on the left is Chōenji (長圓寺), a Zen Buddhist temple. Both remain today.

If you go up Shōnin-bashi-dōri, you can find a small bridge crossing into the Daimyō Konya Machi area. That is the Shōnin-bashi, or Holy Priest Bridge. The bridge was built after the holy priest of Kōshōji was unable to cross the river during a rain storm and was prevented from playing Go with the second lord of the Fukuoka Domain, Kuroda Tadayuki.

There is another river running from south to north. That is where today's Impex Dōri. I suspected that due to the way it curved that it must have been a river at one time.

The area where I live now used to be a forest and beyond that were rice fields.

Edo Period Fukuoka

Edo Period Map of Fukuoka. There is a narrow river running parallel to the moat. That is were Kokutai-Dōro is today. The hairlike river that merges with it is the Yakuin Shinkawa (薬院新川). The former name of the river was Shijū-gawa (四十川). It was also written 死時有川 in the past. The upside-down pair shaped island is Minoshima (美野島). Daimyō (大名) is the strip of land just south of the large moat and the river I mentioned above. That is were senior retainers of the feudal lord lived.

Pre-Edo Map of Fukuoka

I never tire of looking at this ancient map of Fukuoka.

The isthmus at the bottom is Nagahama, and corresponds with where Nagahama Dōri is today. The little appendix at the end of it is where Suzaki Park (洲崎公園) is located.

In the left-hand lower corner is Hakozaki-gū (箱崎宮).

Nakanohama (中ノ浜) is modern-day Nakasu. Just above that is the Tōchō-ji temple (東長寺) and Kushida Shrine (櫛田宮). And just beyond that is Sumiyoshi Jinja (住吉大明神). Minoshima (美野島) used to be an island in the Naka River (那珂川).

The large body of water in the middle is Reisentsu (冷泉津) and the mountainous bit in the middle (警固村〜広尾村) corresponds with the area from Akasaka, Kego, Sakurazaka, Josui, Hirao, Takamiya.

In the lower right corner is Aratsuyama (荒津山) of Nishi Park (西公園). In the upper right hand corner is where the neighborhood of Kusagae (草香江) is today.

The island at the very bottom is Ugu Island (鵜来島), lit. "Cormorant Comes Island". It's more a rock than an island today and is just offshore of the filthy Fukuyama beach. The other small islands were swallowed up in the land reclamation projects of the 80s.

I need to double check, but I believe this map is from well before the Edo Period (1600~). When the feudal domain of Fukuoka was created, much of the parts covered with water were reclaimed, creating the central areas of Daimyō, Tenjin, Yakuin, and so on. The same is true of the Marunouchi area of Tokyo.

Interestingly, a former neighbor of mine in Daimyo was forced to tear down one of his buildings after the big 2005 earthquake. Construction on a new building ended up being delayed by months because they had to bore and bore and bore through meters and meters of mud until they finally reached the bedrock. Thanks to the less than ideal foundations of the buildings in this area, whenever there is an earthquake, we really feel it.

Note: Another website claims this map is from the Kamakura Era, or about 800 years ago. The author of the blog post does a good job in locating areas in modern-day Fukuoka.

Tōji Stationery Store

Tōji, a stationery store located in Tenjin, has been in business for over a hundred years now. In the early Taishō Era photo above, Meji Dōri cuts through the Kawabata Shōtengai area. The banks of the Hakata River can be seen at the bottom of the photo. Tōji is located at the bottom left hand corner.

Watanabe Dori

Tenjin, Watanabe-dōri in the mid 50s.

Taihaku Machi

Late Meji Era (early 1900s) Yanagi Machi, near present day Taihaku Machi

Post War Doi Machi

Not sure what year this was taken, but judging by the fashions is probably late 50s or early 60s. The postcard states that this is Doi Machi. I suspect the road that the streetcar is going down is Shōwa Dōri.