Japan Will Soon Have a Pokémon Airport, and You Have 3 Years to Get There

According to the announcement, the project isn’t just a few Pikachu stickers on the walls. The airport’s two-story atrium will display a giant Pikachu-and-airplane balloon as its centerpiece, surrounded by all 111 flying-type Pokémon installed throughout the terminal. The observation deck, called Pikachu no Satoyama (“Pikachu’s Countryside Village”), will be covered in Pikachu in a landscape scene inspired by the rural countryside of the Noto Peninsula. Guests will also be able to “access three original short videos ” throughout the terminal, one of which will feature Dreepy — a rare, lesser-known Pokémon that will mean nothing to casual fans and everything to the ones who spent three hours in a rainstorm trying to find one in Sword and Shield.

Naturally, you’ll be able to take home a piece of the Pokémon magic. An airport gift shop will sell exclusive merchandise, including luggage tags, keychains, and apparel with original artwork created specifically for the airport. The third-floor restaurant will serve Pokémon-themed pancakes and drinks. Starting in mid-July, Pokémon-wrapped buses will connect the airport to nearby attractions in Wajima City and to the “Wakura Pokémon Footbath” at nearby Wakura Onsen, in the historic hot springs town.

Unfortunately, the footbath is not called the “Pokemonsen.” Photo: Nanao City

The airport is part of a broader initiative between Ishikawa Prefecture and the Pokémon With You Foundation — a nonprofit established by The Pokémon Company to support communities affected by disasters in Japan — to support tourism and regional recovery following the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, which caused widespread damage across the region and temporarily forced every inn in Wakura Onsen to close. About half have reopened. So if you go out of your way to visit, you can feel good knowing you’re supporting a good cause, rather than (just) buying into nostalgia.

You could fly there on a Pokémon plane

Art from the upcoming ANA Pokemon planes. Photo: All Nippon Airways

The airport is new, but Pokémon-branded aviation goes back further than most people realize. ANA unveiled the world’s first Pokémon Jets in 1998, timed to the release of Pokémon: The First Movie. Two planes were painted with all of the original 151 Pokémon, and it was so popular that ANA eventually began using a Pokémon-branded plane to fly to the US, connecting Tokyo with New York’s JFK airport from 1999 to 2016.

The partnership was revived several times over the decades, but this year, to mark the 30th anniversary of Pokémon Red and Green, ANA announced three new Pokémon Jets: Pokémon Jet Red, Green, and Blue, each themed around the original games. The Pokémon Green jet will fly on routes outside Japan, though the exact routes have yet to be announced. On those planes, the onboard experience extends well beyond the paint job, with themed headrests, paper cups, napkins, safety videos, and limited-edition merchandise only available on the flights.

Fortunately, it’s not just ANA anymore — it turns out other airlines want to catch ’em, too. Scoot, China Airlines, and T’way Air have all introduced Pokémon Jets, making it possible to fly on a Pokémon-branded plane from Singapore, Taiwan, or South Korea into Japan. If you time it right, you could theoretically board a Pokémon-painted plane, land at the world’s first Pokémon airport, and take a Pokémon-wrapped bus to a Pokémon footbath. Japan has clearly thought this through.

Getting there

ANA operates two flights a day between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Noto Airport, with a flight time of about one hour. Discount tickets are typically available for between ¥11,000 and ¥18,000 one way (roughly $68 to $111). It’s not a large airport, with only two jetways and an interior space smaller than many US train stations. So in Pokémon terms, it’s more of a Pallet Town than a Pokémon Center.