Japan: Warplanes of the Second World War preserved

Warplanes of the Second World War preserved in Japan

The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document Warplanes from the Second World War preserved in Japan.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website.  Photos are as credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplane Survivors of the Second World War in Japan would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

Warplanes of the Second World War preserved in Japan by aircraft type, serial number, registration number and location:

(tataquax Photo)

Curtiss C-46A Commando (Serial No.), Tokorozawa Aviation Museum.

Kawasaki Ki-61-1a Hien Army Type 3 Fighter  (Serial No. 263) assigned USAAF code number XJ003 and TAIC 9, test flown in the USA post war.  (USAAF Photo)

(Hunini Photos)

(TRJN Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Tony), Kobi Port terminal, Japan.

 (Goshimini Photo)

Kawasaki Ki-61-II-Kai (Serial No. 5017 ) is on static display at the Tokko Heiwa Kaikan Museum in Chiran Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan.

(Bouquey Photos)

Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden Kai Model 21, on display in the Shikoku Museum, Japan.   This is an authentic N1K2-J Shiden-Kai from the 343 squadron.  After the aircraft was damaged in battle, its pilot landed on 24 July 1945 in the waters of the Bungo Channel, but he was never found; by the time of the aircraft’s recovery from the seabed in the 1970s, he could be identified only as one of six pilots from the 343 squadron who disappeared that day.

 (IJNAF Photo)

(Max Smith Photo)

(Miya.m Photos)

Kawanishi H8K2 Type 2 flying boat (Serial No. 426) on display at Kanoya Air Base in Kagoshima.

(Josephus37 Photo)

Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 21 Zero-Sen (Navy Type 0 carrier fighter), Allied reporting name “Zeke”, (Serial No. 91518), coded EII-102, on display inside the Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi.

Mitsubishi A6M2 Model 21 Zero-Sen (Navy Type 0 carrier fighter), Allied reporting name “Zeke”, (Serial No. 92717), stored with the Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi.

(Tataroko Photo)

( Momotarou Photo)

(Paul Richter Photo)

Mitsubishi A6M2b Model 22 Zero-Sen (Navy Type 0 carrier fighter), Allied reporting name “Zeke”, two-seater (Serial No. 31870), coded 53-122, on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan.

(Paul Richter Photo)

(Wason Llwolmpaisan Photo)

(Oren Rozen Photos)

Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zero-Sen (Navy Type 0 carrier fighter), Allied reporting name “Zeke”, composite of (Serial No. 4168), with parts from (Serial No. 4240) and (Serial No. 4241), coded 81-161, on display in the Yushukan War Museum located within the Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda, Tokyo.

Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zero-Sen (Navy Type 0 carrier fighter), Allied reporting name “Zeke”, (Serial No. 4685), Hamamatsu Air Base, Shizuoka.

(Mikkabie Photo)

Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zero-Sen (Navy Type 0 carrier fighter), Allied reporting name “Zeke”, (Serial No. 4708), coded 43-188, on display at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Museum, Minatomiri Odori Boulevard, Komachi, Aichi.

(nattou Photos)

(Yamato Museum Photo)

(fareastfling, King Kaptures Photos)

(Tokyobling'sblog Photo)

(Hakaisinn6105 Photo)

Mitsubishi A6M5a Model 52 Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter, Zero-Sen, codenamed “Zeke” (Serial No. 82729), coded 210-118, B.  This aircraft rested on the bottom of Lake Biwa where it crashed due to engine failure in August 1945.  The pilot survived and was on hand to help in restoration when it was recovered from the lake in 1978 almost intact.  It is displayed in the Yamato Museum, Kure Maritime Museum, Hiroshima, Japan.

(???? Photos)

Mitsubishi A6M5a Model 52 Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter, Zero-Sen, codenamed “Zeke” (Serial No. unknown), coded Y2-128, Chikuzen Town Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum.

(Cpl. Carlos Cruz Jr, USMC Photo)

Mitsubishi A6M Zero hangar, preserved at US Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.  This is the last standing hanger, one of many that were located here during the Second World War era.  The hangar’s existence dates back to the 1940s when the Japanese Imperial Navy controlled the air station.  The gouges seen on the front wall of the hangar are scars from the devastating war.  The hangar now serves as a testimony to the deepening friendship between the people of the U.S. and Japan.

(Lance Cpl. Aaron Henson, USMC Photos)

(USMC Photos)

Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zero-Sen (Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter), codename “Zeke”, replica, on display at MCAS Iwakuni, Yamaguchi.

(???? Photo)

Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zero-Sen (Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter), codename “Zeke”, (Serial No. unknown), coded V-173, on display at Shizuoka, Japan.

 (Josephus37 Photo)

Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter, Zero-Sen, codenamed “Zeke” (Serial No. 1493), on display inside the Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.

(Greg Goebel Photo)

(Goshimini Photo)

(????? Photo)

(JacoTen Photo)

(Toshi Aoki Photo)

Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter, Zero-Sen, codenamed “Zeke” (Serial No. 5357), coded 61-120, this aircraft is the only airworthy example powered with an original Sakae radial engine.  It is on loan from the Planes of Fame Museum, on static display with the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum, Tokorozawa, Japan.  Airworthy.

Mitsubishi A6M7 Model 62 Zero-Sen (Navy Type 0 carrier fighter), Allied reporting name “Zeke”, (Serial No. 62343), on display in the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots, Minamikyushu, Kagoshima, Japan.

Mitsubishi A6M Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter, Zero-Sen, codenamed “Zeke” replica, owned by Masahide Ishizuka, Kanova, Kagoshima.  Airworthy with a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engine.

(CC-BY-SA 3.0 Photo)

Nakajima Ki-27 on display in the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum, Japan.

(Josephus37 Photo)

Nakajima Ki-27 replica, Tokorozawa Aviation Museum, Tokorozawa, Japan.

(Ogrebot Photo)

(STA3816 Photo)

Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa on display in the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots, Minamikyushu, Kagoshima, Japan.

Nakajima Ki-43-II Hayabusa, currently on display at the Museum Dirgantara Udara Yogyakarta.

(RuthAS Photo)

Nakajima Ki-84 (Serial No. 1446), TAIU S17, following an extensive restoration in the USA and before its return to Japan, ca 1970.  This aircraft was operated and flown by the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California, Reg No. N3385G, before being returned to Japan for display at the Arashiyama Museum in Kyoto.  This aircraft is now exhibited at the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Frank),Tokko Heiwa Kinen-kan Museum, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.  It is the only surviving Ki-84.

(Bouquey Photos)

Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Frank),Tokko Heiwa Kinen-kan Museum, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.

(Oren Rozen Photos)

North American T-6 Texan (Serial No. 52-099), 099, Tokorozawa Aviation Museum outside Tokyo.

(Aomorikuma Photo)

Tachikawa Ki-54 Hickory, remains preserved in Japan.

(Chirokostage Photo)

(YJY Photo)

Yokosuka D4Y1 Susei (Serial No. 4316) on display in the Yasukuni Jinja Yushikan shrine in Tokyo.

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Navy Suicide Attacker Ohka was a manned flying bomb that was usually carried underneath a Mistsubish G4Me Model 24J bomber, codenamed Betty to within range of its target; on release, the pilot would first glide towards the target and when close enough he would fire the Ohka's three solid-fuel rockets one at a time or in unison, and fly the missile towards the ship that he intended to destroy.  The only variant which saw service was the Model 11, and it was powered by three Type 4 Mark 1 Model 20 rockets. 155 Ohka Model 11s were built at Yokosuka, and another 600 were built.  The final approach was almost unstoppable because the aircraft gained high speed (650 km/h (400 mph) in level flight and 930 km/h (580 mph) or even 1,000 km/h (620 mph) in a dive.  (IJAAF Photo)

 (Josephus37 Photo)

Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka, I-16, Kawaguchiko Motor Museum, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan.

Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka Model 11, on display in the Yushukan War Museum within the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo., and another at Iruma AFB, Iruma, Saitama.

Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka Model 11, on display at Iruma AFB, Iruma, Saitama.

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