Hello Kitty gets her own airport for the 2025 World Expo in Japan

Japanese airports are known for their many unusual attractions and unique designs, but now one of them has gone even further, becoming the world's first airport decked out in a Hello Kitty theme.

Hello Kitty, also known as Kitty White, is a popular character from Japanese children's culture — an anthropomorphic cat with a signature bow. Created by Yuko Shimizu in 1975, the character achieved enormous popularity, outgrowing its original child audience to become a favourite among adults thanks to Japan's "kawaii," or "cuteness," culture. According to her backstory, Kitty lives in London with her family.

Hello Kitty's image is widely used in cartoons, video games, comics, and on various merchandise, from pencil cases and lunch boxes to keychains and mouse pads. The brand's owner, Sanrio, estimates its commercial value at $4 to $5 billion a year.

Now the famous cat has extended her reach into the aviation sector. The airport decked out in Hello Kitty theming is located in the city of Oita on the island of Kyushu, about an hour's flight or four hours by rail from Osaka. Despite the region's scenic landscapes and hot springs, the airport mainly serves domestic flights: of the 530,033 passengers last month, about 80% were domestic travellers.

However, the airport's rebrand, timed to coincide with the 2025 World Expo and running until October, is meant to change that. "We hope to attract tourists who usually choose popular destinations like Tokyo and Kyoto, and redirect some of that flow to Oita," said a representative of the Oita Prefecture tourism bureau.

For Sanrio, the initiative brings additional benefits too. Visitors to the airport are greeted by Hello Kitty, featured on jet bridges and baggage carousels. The prefecture is also home to Harmonyland, a Sanrio theme park that also features the company's other characters — My Melody, Little Twin Stars, and Pochacco. That popularity may come in handy, since, surprisingly, Kitty herself ranked only fifth in Sanrio's 2024 character popularity poll.

"We hope this airport will become a bridge connecting countless smiles," said Sanrio Entertainment president Aya Komaki at the opening ceremony, holding a flag bearing Hello Kitty's slogan: "Hello from Oita to the world!"

Kitty herself has plenty of travel experience already: her image has adorned Japan's Shinkansen bullet trains since 2018, despite her being famously "five apples tall."