about MASC – Japan's Leading eVTOL Test Flight Platform

Established:

2017

Incorporated:

2021

Headquarters:

Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan

Legal Status:

General Incorporated Association

MASC (Mizushima Aero Space Consortium) is a regional innovation platform based in Kurashiki City, with a mission to accelerate advanced air mobility (AAM) in Japan through test flights, public engagement, and international collaboration.

Key Achievements

eVTOL Demonstration Flights:

  • Over 120 test flights conducted in the Setouchi region
  • Japan’s first manned outdoor eVTOL flight (Feb 2023, Beppu Bay)
  • Multiple demonstration projects with EHang and AutoFlight

Disaster Response:

  • Drone-based recovery monitoring after the 2018 West Japan Floods
  • Emergency logistics flight to offshore islands (Jan 2019)

Infrastructure & Policy:

  • “Kansai–Setouchi Sky Corridor” project launched in 2024
  • Collaborations with Osaka, Hyogo, and major private-sector partners

Public Engagement:

  • Permanent eVTOL showroom opened in 2023
  • STEM outreach including lectures by astronaut Koichi Wakata

International Showcase:

  • Exhibiting at Paris Air Show 2025

Affiliations

  • Kurashiki Council for Aerospace Industry Promotion
  • National Aircraft Cluster Network (Japan)
  • Japan Association for the Promotion of Aerospace Innovation
  • Setouchi Consortium for Next-Generation Mobility
  • Public–Private Council for the Future Air Mobility Revolution (MLIT Japan)

Organization Name

MASC (General Incorporated Association)
Pronunciation: “Masuku”

Former Name

Study Group for the Realization of an Aerospace Industry Cluster in the Mizushima Area of Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture

Date of Establishment

November 27, 2017

Date of Legal Registration

April 1, 2021

Mission

Based in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, this organization aims to promote advanced technologies that inspire the next generation while revitalizing the region’s manufacturing capabilities.

Building on the historical presence of an aircraft manufacturing plant and test airfield in the area during the 1940s (Showa 16 to 20), and leveraging the technological expertise of companies currently operating in the Mizushima Industrial Complex, MASC strives to apply these strengths to emerging industries.

By encouraging the launch of related businesses and new ventures within Kurashiki City and the Takahashi River Basin, we seek to foster innovation, create new economic opportunities, and connect regional tradition with future-oriented industrial development.

Major Activities and History

  • November 2017 Established as a voluntary organization (15 founding members)
  • March 2018 Kurasiki Chamber of Commerce and Industry established the Council for Aerospace Industry Promotion
  • From November 2018 Drone-based fixed-point aerial photography to support recovery efforts in Mabi town following the July 2018 West Japan Floods
  • January 2019 Launched an island logistics project: autonomous drone delivery from Shimotsui Port to an island 4 km offshore
  • March 2019 Executed a plant inspection project using drones
  • April 2021 Formally incorporated as a General Incorporated Association
  • June 2021 Conducted eVTOL test flights using the EHang 216 at Kasaoka Fureai Airport under special permission from Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau
  • February 2023 Achieved Japan's first outdoor, manned eVTOL flight using EHang 216 (Beppu Bay, Oita Prefecture)
  • November 2023 Opened Japan’s first permanent showroom dedicated to eVTOL display
  • November 2024 Completed Japan's first test flight of AutoFlight's V2000CG (Okayama City, Konan Airport)
  • 2024 Launched the "Kansai–Setouchi Sky Corridor Project," funded by Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, and Hyogo Prefecture, in consortium with Pasona Group Inc., ORIX Corporation, CTI Engineering Co., Ltd., and Japan Airport Consultants Inc.
  • March 2025 Hosted a public lecture by astronaut Koichi Wakata at Kanzei High School in Okayama
  • Ongoing Numerous test flights, aircraft exhibitions, workshops, and seminars hosted or contracted

Honorary Advisor

Kaori Ito
Mayor of Kurashiki City

President

Minehito Inoue
Chairman, Kurashiki Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Directors

Junichi Saito
Advisor, FM Kurashiki

Hiroshi Sakanoue
Representative Director, Takahashi River Presenterale (General Incorporated Association)

Koichi Sukimoto
Member, Kurashiki City Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team

Takeshi Maruyama
President & CEO, Setouchi Engineering Co., Ltd.

Shoji Nagata
Representative Director, Setouchi City Tourism Association

Secretary General

Hiroshi Sakanoue
Representative Director, Takahashigawa Presenterale (General Incorporated Association)

Contact & Access Information

Organization:
MASC (General Incorporated Association)

Head Office:
1-6-23 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama 710-0046, Japan

Email:
info@masc-jp.com

Online Contact Form:
https://masc-jp.com/contact_us/
(For general inquiries, partnerships, and media requests)