A Japanese airport has been redesigned to attract international and local tourists in a surprising move.
Oita, a city known for it's natural hot springs on the Kyushu island has recently renamed its airport Oita Hello Kitty to lure fans and tourists.
The six-month re-brand, which has kicked off ahead of Expo 2025 and will continue till October 13, will witnessed the classic Japanese overhaul.
Hello Kitty has taken over every corner of the airport, from boarding bridge to the miniature planes.
The revamping was a way to invite tourists to less-visited areas, as Japan is expected to hit with a wave of tourists in its major cities due to six-month long Osaka Expo 2025.
Additionally, the tourism surge, which hit a record-breaking 10.5 million in the first three months of 2025, has been proven quite beneficial for the world's fourth-big economy, however, it has also cause major problems for natives.
Oita Prefecture Government's tourism bureau rep shared, "We hope to encourage more tourists, particularly those who typically visit high-traffic destinations like Tokyo and Kyoto, to travel to Oita instead."
The destination is an hour plane ride away from Osaka and four-hour travel by train.
Joining Hello Kitty at the airport are her friends including Little Twin Stars, My Melody, and Pochacco, from Sanrio, the merchandising company.
Sanrio runs a theme park called Harmonyland in the prefecture, and the company will be selling exclusive Hello Kitty t-shirts and key chains at the domestic terminal.
