Small Japan is small. Very small.
Case in point:
Last week, Shonai Airport held their 35th anniversary. They allowed us onto the tarmac to check out some planes, sit in planes, sit in a police car (a very common thing at events designed for kids here), and watch a tribute to 35 years of aviation to what has to be one of Japan’s smallest rural airports.
Besides when getting on or off a plane, how often are you allowed on the tarmac? My cousin is a pilot, I have a friend who is an Air Traffic Controller, and even I’m not allowed to do that! (reminds me of Grand Theft Auto for some reason).
So yeah, that was fun, and fun for my kids.
But you know what else is fun?
Seeing how small small Japan really is.
This airport came about thanks to the support of Kaichi Nitta, a sort of Mr. Burns-like character in this region, due to his wealth mainly, who unfortunately passed away this past July.
Mr. Nitta built a farming company called Hirata Bokujo, Hirata Farms, where he pioneered a hell of a lot of stuff in the pork farming industry in Japan.
Not only that, he quite literally put Shonai on the map by helping get Yamagata and the Shonai region an expressway.
An expressway!
Who does that?
Mr. Nitta of course.
He also helped develop Sakata’s north port, which these days is more well-known for the cruise ships it brings to the region (and the Lizard People, original article here).
Whenever anyone comes and visits me here in Sakata, there are a few places I like to take them:
Somaro
Somaro is a former inn converted into a Maiko Tea House. Without Mr. Nitta, it wouldn’t exist anymore. Thanks to him they repaired the building and made it useable, and in my humble opinion, very cool (my Japanese TV debut was there too).
Obataro
The same goes for Hiyori Bakery and Cafe, a place we call Obataro. Located in a converted Meiji Era (1868-1912) inn, this structure was extensively repaired recently, but not before appearing in Academy award winning film Departures (something I wrote about more than three(!) years ago).
And, for the ah, wealthier people around, credit also goes to Nitta-san for the Shonai Golf Club, and Sakata City Museum of Art.
Oh yeah. Did I mention it gets a bit personal too?
The university I work for, Tohoku University of Community Service and Science (thankfully abbreviated to Koeki University), also came about in big part thanks to Old Man Nitta too. It pretty much owes its existence to him.
And I guess so do I.
So yeah, that’s how small small Japan is.
Meetup in Tokyo on November 5
Meetup! Just a few weeks away now!
Daily Yamabushi Posts for October 2 to 8, 2026
Here are my Daily Yamabushi posts for the past week. Get more Daily Yamabushi posts at timbunting.com/daily-yamabushi. Discover more Japan essays and daily insights in the Kiwi Yamabushi Substack Archive, or follow my writing over on Medium.com.
Rather than clicking on these individually, you can just read all at once here.
Here in Shimane the airport at the other end of the prefecture - Masuda - has sports events where the participants go along the runway. There's a bike event and a half marathon that runs around it.
We don't seem to have a Nitta though but at this end of the prefecture the Kami of Izumo Taisha have done their bit to keep things going