a Japanese Zero that crashed in New Guinea was found in the 1970s, and restored very slowly may finally get back to flying over Japan, 70 years since it was made there

In the paperwork process to get it home to Japan since 2008 until July 2015

In 2008 the airplane was bought by Masahide Ishizuka, a native of Japan living in New Zealand who runs a company that manufactures flight jackets for pilots and also writes for aviation magazines. Ishizuka reportedly paid $3.72 million for the airplane, and established Zero Enterprise with the aim of bringing a Zero back to Japan, and flying it during a WW2 memorial event.

The flight still must receive final safety clearance from authorities, but Japan’s regulations and high maintenance costs are standing in the way.

If the flight occurs as planned, the Zero will be flown by (ironically) a U.S. pilot, since no Japanese pilot is certified to fly the plane, and only the 3rd Zero flight over japan since WW2

Currently displayed at the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Kanoya Air Base in Kagoshima Prefecture, it has been reassembled and its engine tested on July 7 with help from U.S. Federal Aviation Administration engineers.

There are only six Zero fighter planes left which are still flying today. One is owned by the Commemorative Air Force, and was found intact in Indonesia, on oil drums


https://www.zero-sen.jp/
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Zero-Ready-To-Fly-Above-Japan-224419-1.html
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/07/15/zero-fighter-plane-preparing-for-first-japan-flight-since-wwii/  via https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/japanese-zero-fighter-to-make-first-flight-over-japan-for-70-years.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=facebook.com

One that is fully functional is in the Chino "Planes Of Fame" museum, http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-quick-look-at-planes-of-fame-museum.html  it was one of a dozen captured intact in Saipan, flown between American military bases so it could be evaluated by military pilots flown by about 25 different USN, USMC, Royal Navy and civilian fighter and test pilots, including Charles A. Lindbergh. The aircraft was ferried back to San Diego on January 11, 1945, where frontline combat pilots were also given a chance to check out the Zero. 

On June 18, 1944, U.S. Marines captured Asilito Airfield with a number of intact Zero fighters. A dozen of these intact Zeros were shipped to NAS North Island, San Diego, California, USA for evaluation. Four Zeros were restored to flight, two went to the Army Air Force and two were retained by the Navy. http://planesoffame.org/index.php?mact=staircraft,cntnt01,default,0&cntnt01what=stplanes&cntnt01alias=A6M5&cntnt01returnid=128