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Near the south entrance of Yoyogi Park, in a quiet corner of the Plum Grove, stands the monument marking the “Birthplace of Japanese Aviation.” It was here, on December 19, 1910 (Meiji 43), that Captain Yoshitoshi Tokugawa successfully piloted a Henri Farman biplane for four minutes, covering a distance of 3,000 meters at an altitude of 70 meters, achieving Japan’s first powered flight. Following him, Captain Kumazo Hino also succeeded in flying a Grade monoplane for one minute, covering 1,000 meters at an altitude of 45 meters. To commemorate this historic moment, the Asahi Shimbun Company, together with architect Kenji Imai and sculptor Katsumaro Izumi, erected this monument, which is shaped like a bird spreading its wings, symbolizing the longing for the sky and the dream of flight.
Behind the monument, busts of Yoshitoshi Tokugawa and Kumazo Hino stand side by side, conveying their achievements to the present day. The inscription on the monument records that since the first flight, many airplanes used this site as a landing and takeoff field until the end of the Taisho era, and that after the Great Kanto Earthquake, it was also used as the departure and arrival point for Asahi Shimbun’s east-west postal flights. It also notes that the first flight to Europe began from this location, underscoring that Yoyogi is the origin of Japanese aviation history.
Today, Yoyogi Park serves as an oasis in the city center, a place where many people come to relax, but standing before this monument, one can picture the scene of the first airplane soaring in this sky. In the clear winter air, it is as if you can hear the cheers of people looking up as the airplane took off with the sound of its engine. Visiting this site allows one to reflect on the dawn of Japanese aviation history and to feel the challenges and passion of the pioneers.