Misawa Aviation & Science Museum, Aomori

The Misawa Aviation & Science Museum is a facility that introduces the role Aomori Prefecture has played in global aviation history, and it opened in 2003. Misawa City is home to both the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Misawa Air Base and the U.S. military’s Misawa Air Base, and in the outdoor "Ozora Hiroba" plaza in front of the museum, 11 aircraft and related exhibits that were actually used at the two bases are displayed. You can even climb aboard aircraft such as the T-3, used for a JASDF pilot’s first-flight training, and the F-104J, Japan’s first supersonic fighter used by the JASDF. Indoors, you can see aviation-related displays connected to Aomori, including a replica of the Miss Veedol, which successfully completed a nonstop trans-Pacific flight in 1931 from Sabishiro Beach in Misawa to Wenatchee, Washington, USA, and the YS-11, Japan’s first domestically produced postwar transport aircraft, whose design involved Aomori-born Hidemasa Kimura. The museum also features hands-on areas where visitors can try a variety of science experiments, so even children who are not particularly interested in airplanes can still have a great time. After visiting, you might also enjoy shopping for military surplus and more at Sky Plaza Misawa near the U.S. base.