Ehime: WWII Fighter Plane Prepared for Transfer to New Facility, Shiden Kai Reinforced to Help Withstand Movement

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:32 JST, November 15, 2025

AINAN, Ehime — A World War II-era Shiden Kai fighter plane which once belonged to the Imperial Japanese Navy is now undergoing reinforcement work in Ainan, Ehime Prefecture, the only place in Japan where one of these aircraft has been preserved.

In preparation for the relocation of this valuable war relic from the facility where it is currently held to a new home set to be built by the end of fiscal 2026, its body is being reinforced to prevent it from becoming damaged when it is moved.

During the Pacific War, about 400 Shiden Kai planes were manufactured, intended as successors to the ubiquitous Zero fighter. The aircraft preserved in Ainan, which is believed to have been deployed in July 1945, was discovered on the seabed off the town. It was salvaged in 1979 and has been on free public display at the current facility since 1980.

Due to the aging of the facility and deterioration of the plane, the Ehime prefectural government has made plans to build a new exhibition facility on an adjoining plot of land.

The fuselage has been reinforced with stiffeners to allow the aircraft to be moved using a crane and other machinery. The work will continue until December.