Japanese prefecture that already has a Hello Kitty airport is getting ready for even more Sanrio cuteness.
In April, Japan’s Oita Airport renamed itself to Oita Hello Kitty Airport. This wasn’t just a silly tongue-in-cheek gesture, like when Kagawa Prefecture named a Pokémon as its new governor. The facility now really is officially called Oita Hello Kitty Airport, and it’s decked out in all sorts of Sanrio character decorations.
The original plan was for this arrangement to last for half a year, but that was obviously too short a time for an arrangement so awesomely adorable, and it’s now been extended until the end of 2025. There’s been no word yet as to whether or not another extension is going to happen, but it wouldn’t be a shock if one does since Harmonyland, the Sanrio theme park located not far from the airport, is going to be renovated and expanded into something developers are saying will be grand enough to be considered a resort.
The announcement was made on Monday in a ceremony at the Oita prefectural capital building (pictured at the top of this article) attended by Hello Kitty, Oita Governor Kiichiro Sato, and other government and Sanrio representatives.
Harmonyland, in the Oita town of Hayami, is one of two Sanrio theme parks in Japan, the other being Puroland, located in the Tama district of northern Tokyo. With Harmonyland sitting on a hillside, the renovation plan is to create the atmosphere of an amusement park in the sky. While concrete details are still being hashed out, a ropeway to ferry visitors around the vertically varied topography and an outdoor canopy to make the park more usable on days with rain or intensely strong sunshine have already been mentioned, as has a new amphitheater for stage shows and musical performances.
▼ Concept art/images for the reimagined Harmonyland
Also part of the plan is a brand-new hotel, currently under construction on a plot of land adjacent to Harmonyland, providing guests with accommodations both classy and cute, in addition to views of the park, nearby mountains, and Beppu Bay.
Speaking of Beppu, you might recall that the town of that name is one of Japan’s top onsen (hot spring) travel destinations, and Oita as a whole takes great pride in the quality of its hot springs. At the announcement ceremony for the resort, the developers said they want to create a destination where visitors can enjoy Oita’s beautiful natural scenery, food culture, hot springs, and hospitality along with Sanrio’s style of cute fun, suggesting that hot spring baths might be among the hotel’s amenities.
No timetable for the completion of the project has been set, but the overall goal for the new Puroland, the developers say, is for it to be “the kindest place in the world,” where “all visitors, regardless of age, gender, or physical characteristics can enjoy themselves.” That’s definitely a lofty goal, but a sweet one too, and if there’s anyone who knows a thing or two about being able to make friends with just about anyone, it’s Hello Kitty.
Source, images: PR Times
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