Top > TRAVEL > Day Trip to Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum ｜ Solo Hakata Trip in My 30s

Day Trip to Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum ｜ Solo Hakata Trip in My 30s

TRAVEL

 

 

On a solo trip to Fukuoka, I visited the Tachiarai (Tachiarai) Peace Memorial Museum.

 

In the past, Tachiarai was home to an Imperial Japanese Army airfield once hailed as the largest in the East, and the town flourished as a major military city.

 

However, as the war situation deteriorated, US air raids claimed many civilian lives here.

 

It was also used as a staging base for flights to Chiran and Bansei, seeing many special attack (kamikaze) pilots off on their final sorties.

 

The Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum carries this history while continuing to share messages as an “information hub for peace”.

 

 

 

Day trip to Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum

 

During my trip to Fukuoka, I took a day and visited the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum.

 

 

 

Let me walk you through my visit.

 

1: Where is the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum?

 

From Tachiarai Station on the Amagi Railway, it is about a 3-minute walk.

 

There is also a large car park, so visiting by car is convenient too.

 

 

 

2: How to get to Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum

 

If you are coming by rail from Hakata or Tenjin, you transfer to the Amagi Railway at Kiyama or Ogōri and ride it to Tachiarai.

 

It takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes in total.

 

 

 

The Amagi Railway feels less like a typical train and more like a bus running on rails.

 

 

 

There are no ticket gates at the station, so you take a numbered ticket when you board.

 

 

 

You pay when you get off, and IC cards / e-money are not accepted.

 

There is a change machine at the rear of the carriage, so it is a good idea to change bills in advance so you are ready when getting off.

 

 

 

Here is Tachiarai Station.

 

 

 

The fighter aircraft displayed at “Tachiarai Retro Station” serves as a symbol of the area.

 

 

 

The peace memorial museum lies across the main road from the station.

 

 

 

 

 

3: Inside the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum

 

At the entrance to the museum stands the former main gate of the “5th Aviation Education Regiment”.

 

 

 

The 5th Aviation Education Regiment was established in 1939, and at its peak some 6,000 aviation technician soldiers were stationed here.

 

 

Note that photography inside the museum is prohibited, except for the aircraft exhibits.

 

 

Experimental local defence fighter “Shinden”

 

 


The Shinden was developed as a fighter to intercept B-29 bombers flying at around 600 km/h at altitudes of up to 12,500 m.

 

 

 

It is a canard-type aircraft with the propeller at the rear of the fuselage and four 30 mm cannons mounted in the nose.

 

 

 

With its rocket-like silhouette, the main wings are positioned behind the cockpit.

 

 

 

A huge propeller is mounted at the rear of the fuselage.

 

 

 

The engine was equipped with a fuel-injection system so that it could operate even at around 10,000 m altitude, representing very advanced engineering for the time.

 

 

 

Prototype flight tests were carried out in 1945, but the war ended before the aircraft could be deployed in combat.

 

 

 

Although the Shinden never saw actual combat, it clearly shows how far Japanese aeronautical engineering had advanced at the time.

 

 

 

In addition to the Shinden, two other fighter aircraft are on display in the museum.

 

 

The only surviving “Zero Fighter Model 32”

 

 

 

There is a staircase next to the Zero, and you can climb up to look into the cockpit.

 

 

 

This is the cockpit of the Zero.

 

 

 

Type 97 fighter that actually saw combat

 

This museum is the only place where a Type 97 fighter that was used in actual combat still exists.

 

 

 

The aircraft was salvaged from the bottom of Hakata Bay and restored.

 

 

 

Inside the museum you can also learn about the special attack units, the Tachiarai airfield itself, and the everyday lives of the people who worked and lived around it.

 

If you have the chance, I really recommend visiting in person.

 

 

 

 

 

Very close to the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum is “Maruhachi”, a shop where you can enjoy Kurume-style tonkotsu ramen.

 

Here is their basic ramen with a small bowl of rice.

 

 

 

The noodles are straight, thin noodles,

perfect for soaking up that rich broth.

 

 

I have a separate article with more photos of the menu and the inside of the shop.

 

If you are interested, please have a look:

 

Tried Kurume Ramen “Maruhachi” in Tachiarai!

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a book I recommend reading before visiting the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum.

 

Tokkō Pilots and Tachiarai Airfield – Testimonies of Four Men (PHP Shinsho, Japanese).

 

The book compiles testimonies from people who worked at Tachiarai airfield, based on in-depth interviews.

 

You can also learn more about the “Shinden” featured in this article, as well as the “Sakura-dan” bombers that carried new types of bombs.

 

Reading the book before visiting deepens your understanding of Tachiarai airfield and makes the museum exhibits much more meaningful.

 

 

 

 

That is all for this post.

 

Thank you very much for reading to the end.

 

I sincerely hope that many people will visit this museum and help pass on the importance of peace to future generations.

 

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I have several other posts about travelling in Fukuoka.