The 20-Million-Yen Surfboard
The F-15J Eagle's story in Japan began in 1980. The first two aircraft arrived from McDonnell Douglas in the United States, initially held by the U.S. Air Force for testing. They were later ferried to Kadena Air Base, where they were officially registered and adorned with the Hinomaru (the Japanese Rising Sun roundel). However, the first F-15J wouldn't touch down on Japanese soil until March of the following year, at Gifu Air Base. Production then proceeded through knockdown kits for the first ten aircraft, followed by full license production from the eleventh unit onwards.
 The F-15 Eagle's story in Japan began in 1980. The first two aircraft arrived from McDonnell Douglas in the United States, initially held
