Japan rebrands quake-hit Noto airport with Pokémon recovery
Pokémon characters now cover Noto Airport as Ishikawa hopes the world-first nickname will add momentum to reconstruction after the 2024 Noto Peninsula quake.
- Noto Airport, which was damaged in a January 2024 earthquake, has been rebranded with a Pokémon theme to aid in the region's recovery.
- The airport has been officially nicknamed “Noto Satoyama Pokémon with You Airport,” the first in the world to include Pokémon in its name.
- The rebranding includes decorations with over 100 Pokémon characters, special displays, and themed merchandise and meals.
- The Ishikawa Governor stated the project's goal is to help speed up reconstruction efforts in the quake-hit Noto Peninsula.
Noto Airport held a celebration ceremony on Tuesday (July 7) as it adopted a new nickname linked to the blockbuster Japanese animation series Pocket Monsters, or Pokémon.
The airport in Wajima was renamed “Noto Satoyama Pokémon with You Airport” for the occasion.
According to the Ishikawa prefectural government, it is the first airport in the world to include Pokémon in its name, and the nickname will remain in use until the end of September 2029.
Across the terminal, more than 100 Pokémon characters have been painted on walls and other areas of the airport.
Shops and restaurants there are also offering limited-edition merchandise and themed meals tied to the project.
Ishikawa Prefecture promoted the nickname scheme with a Tokyo-based foundation that carries out social contribution activities through Pokémon.
Speaking at the ceremony in the airport’s terminal building, Ishikawa Governor Yukiyoshi Yamano said: “The Pokemon airport is expected to help speed up the region’s recovery from the powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in January 2024.
“I will work to turn the excitement from the new nickname into the power to advance the reconstruction efforts,” he added.
Among the main features is a large aeroplane-shaped balloon, with Pikachu, one of Pokémon’s main characters, sitting astride it.
The display hangs from the ceiling of the second-floor atrium.
In the first-floor arrivals lobby, a painting shows many Pokémon characters relaxing in the peninsula’s natural scenery, offering encouragement for the reconstruction effort.
The new look delighted young visitors.
“I was happy to see Pikachu,” said a five-year-old boy from Takaoka, in neighbouring Toyama Prefecture.
The prefecture-run airport opened in 2003.
It was damaged by the 2024 quake, including cracks on its runway.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
