There has been a military airfield at Iwakuni since the 1930s.
The area was all farmland and villages until the Japanese government bought a large portion of it in 1938, with the view of establishing a naval air station.
The new base was officially commissioned on July 8, 1940.
When World War II started, the Iwakuni air station was used as a training and defense base.
The station housed 96 trainers and 150 Zero fighter planes on the airstrip.
In September 1943, a branch of the Etajima Naval Academy was established here, with approximately 1,000 cadets undergoing training in the Basic, Junior and Senior Officer's schools at any one time.

After World War II, the base was occupied by units of the Royal Australian Air Force as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan.

Then in 1952, the base officially became an air station of the United States Marine Corps.
MCAS Iwakuni is also shared with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.
MCAS Iwakuni has an air station that many people in Iwakuni want to be made into a public international airport.
However, as of 2009, it is only authorized for military use.

Iwakuni is the only US Marine Corps base on Honshu, the main island of Japan.
Iwakuni is home to approximately half of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing headquartered on Okinawa, elements of the 3rd Marine Logistics Group, and Fleet Air Wing 31 of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, according to the command website.
In 2017, the base is home to about 15,000 U.S. military and Japanese defense force employees.

In 2014, it was planned to move the U.S. Carrier Air Wing from Naval Air Facility Atsugi to Iwakuni which will further increase the size of the base.
The US Navy announced on Friday August 18, 2017 that the first jet squadrons from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, nicknamed “the nation’s 911 air wing” will relocate to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in the fall of 2017.
CVW-5 is the US Navy's only forward-deployed carrier strike group.
There has been a military airfield at Iwakuni since the 1930s. The area was all farmland and villages until the Japanese government bought a large portion of it in 1938, with the view of establishing a naval air station. The new base was officially commissioned on July 8, 1940. When World War II started, the Iwakuni air station was used as a training and defense base. The station housed 96 trainers and 150 Zero fighter planes on the airstrip. In September 1943, a branch of the Etajima Naval Academy was established here, with approximately 1,000 cadets undergoing training in the Basic, Junior and Senior Officer's schools at any one time.
After World War II, the base was occupied by units of the Royal Australian Air Force as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan.
Then in 1952, the base officially became an air station of the United States Marine Corps. MCAS Iwakuni is also shared with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. MCAS Iwakuni has an air station that many people in Iwakuni want to be made into a public international airport. However, as of 2009, it is only authorized for military use.
Iwakuni is the only US Marine Corps base on Honshu, the main island of Japan. Iwakuni is home to approximately half of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing headquartered on Okinawa, elements of the 3rd Marine Logistics Group, and Fleet Air Wing 31 of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, according to the command website. In 2017, the base is home to about 15,000 U.S. military and Japanese defense force employees.
In 2014, it was planned to move the U.S. Carrier Air Wing from Naval Air Facility Atsugi to Iwakuni which will further increase the size of the base. The US Navy announced on Friday August 18, 2017 that the first jet squadrons from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, nicknamed “the nation’s 911 air wing” will relocate to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in the fall of 2017. CVW-5 is the US Navy's only forward-deployed carrier strike group.
Iwakuni