Tachikawa Ki-54, 5541
History
The aircraft associated with the Misawa museum has a particularly remarkable history. This specific Ki-54 belonged to the Japanese Army's 38th Flying Regiment and crashed into Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture on September 27, 1943, while transporting spare parts between military airfields in northern Japan. The crew did not survive, and the aircraft remained hidden beneath approximately 180 feet of cold freshwater for nearly seventy years.
In August 2010, researchers confirmed the aircraft's location on the lakebed, and a major recovery effort successfully raised the wreck from Lake Towada on September 5, 2012. Because of the cold freshwater environment, much of the aircraft's structure and even portions of its wartime paint survived in surprisingly good condition. Aviation historians considered the recovery highly significant because only a few Ki-54 airframes still existed anywhere in the world.
After recovery, the aircraft was transferred to the Misawa Aviation & Science Museum for preservation and public display. Unlike many restored museum aircraft, the Ki-54 was displayed largely in the condition in which it was recovered, allowing visitors to see authentic wartime damage, corrosion, and original markings. The exhibit became one of the museum's most historically important artifacts and was later recognized by the Japan Aeronautic Association as an "Important Aviation Heritage" object in 2016.
The museum itself opened in 2003 beside Misawa Airport and focuses on Japanese aviation history and aerospace science. Its collection includes military aircraft, civilian transports, experimental aircraft, and historical replicas, but the salvaged Ki-54 became especially valuable because it is one of the few surviving original Japanese Army aircraft from World War II.
In 2020, the recovered Ki-54 was transferred from the museum to Tachihi Holdings, a successor company connected to the original manufacturer, for possible future restoration and long-term preservation. Even so, its years on display at Misawa helped preserve the memory of Japan's wartime aviation industry and the aircrews who trained in aircraft such as the Ki-54 during the Pacific War.