Japan Tour 5 - Central Honshu

Japan Tour 5 - Central Honshu

Starting from Toyama we fly south over the mountains to Nagoya, then on to Chubu and over Isa Bay to Akeno.  The route proceeds east over Shizuoka before heading out to sea for several “interesting” landings on islands in Japan's Izu archipelago.  Back to the mainland for a landing at Camp Takigahara (below Mt Fuji) then on to Matsumoto to complete the tour.

Flightplan HERE

The Hida Mountains, also known as Japan's Northern Alps, are a dramatic mountain range in central Honshu, famous for their rugged peaks, glacial valleys, and biodiversity, stretching across Nagano, Gifu, and Toyama prefectures with popular destinations like Mt. Hotakadake (the highest point) and trails for hiking and skiing.

Nagoya, Japan's fourth largest city with over two million residents, is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and a main center of industry on the Nobi plain. Originally a castle town for the Owari branch of the Tokugawa family in the Edo Period, much of Nagoya was destroyed during 1945 air raids. The Toyota Motor Corporation's headquarters are located nearby.

Chubu Centrair International Airport (RJGG) serves Nagoya and Japan's third largest metropolitan area, a major manufacturing hub home to Toyota and Mitsubishi facilities. The former Nagoya Airport couldn't meet regional demand due to limited capacity and its residential location restricting flight operations.  

Ise Bay is a significant bay in Japan, located between Mie and Aichi Prefectures, known for its connection to the sacred Ise-Jingu shrines, rich fishing grounds, pearl farming, and as a route for the Ise Bay Ferry connecting the region. It's a culturally important area, part of the scenic Ise-Shima National Park, where visitors can explore Shinto shrines and enjoy coastal landscapes.

Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport (RJNS) is situated in Makinohara and Shimada. Built to support regional air travel and ease congestion at Tokyo's airports, Shizuoka Prefecture acquired 190 hectares for the airport to serve Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, and the Mount Fuji area.

Kōzu-shima is a volcanic island about 6 km long and 4 km wide, made up of eighteen lava domes with rhyolite and ash deposits. Its highest dome, Tenjō-san, rises to 571 metres and last erupted in 838 AD. Unlike other Izu islands, Kōzu-shima is mostly flat with small hills and few cliffs. Earthquake swarms have occurred there in the 20th century.

Miyake-jima is a volcanic island in Japan's Izu archipelago, about 180 kilometers southeast of Tokyo. Part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, the island is a stratovolcano with an active peak, Mount Oyama, which stands at 759 meters. The coastline is roughly circular and measures 88.3 kilometers. Mount Oyama has erupted 13 times over the past 890 years, with several eruptions recorded since the Meiji period.

Nii-jima stands out among the Izu Islands for its elongated shape, measuring about 11 km by 2.5 km with a total area of 23.87 km². The island consists of eight rhyolitic lava domes split between its north and south ends by a flat isthmus. Its southern tip once hosted an experimental and sounding rocket launch site.

Izu Ōshima is a volcanic island in the Izu archipelago, located off Honshu, Japan, near Sagami Bay and the Pacific Ocean. At 91.06 km², it is the largest and nearest of Tokyo’s outlying islands, and is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

JGSDF Camp Takigahara is a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force base in Gotemba, Shizuoka, near Mount Fuji. Founded as an Imperial Japanese Army training site in 1908, it became "North Camp" under US Army control after WWII. In 1953, half was given to the US Marine Corps (now Camp Fuji), and the remainder became Takigahara Garrison under JGSDF.

Matsumoto, in central Nagano Prefecture's Matsumoto Basin, is known for its scenic mountain views. It lies 75 km south of Nagano City and 167 km from Tokyo, with the Hida Mountains to the west and Mount Hotakadake (3190 m) marking its highest point. Once the provincial capital of Shinano from the Heian period, Matsumoto later developed as a castle town during the Edo era under the Tokugawa shogunate.

Our Honshu tour will include the following freeware airports.

•        RJNT - Toyama
•        RJNA - Nagoya
•        RJGG- Nagoya Chubu
•        Japan airports Model Library KRC
•        RJAZ - Kozushima
•        RJTQ - Miyakejima
•        RJAN - Niijima

The route is 445 nm and an aircraft capable of 200+ knots will be needed.

Once again, I plan to fly the World Update 20 Japan Local Legend NAMC YS-11 in the All Nippon Airways (Mohican) livery.  The default Saab 340 would be a comparable commercial transport option.  As always you are free to fly what you like.

Recommend Departure time of 1:00 PM

Particulars:

•        Date and time: Saturday Jan 3, 18:00 UTC    
•        RTWR Multiplayer Discord Channel
•        MFS Multiplayer: US Eastcoast Server

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!