You can have a whole day here. The charm of Chubu Centrair International Airport, which is fun even without a flight

A visit to Chubu Centrair International Airport, with its silver-toned glass sashes creating a bright atmosphere, may leave you in a cheerful mood. On the third floor, the check-in counters for each airline are arranged in an island format, and the departure lobby is spacious. Although it is an international airport, it is compact and easy to use.

A spacious event area greets you with illuminations

On the other side of the sunlight-filled entrance, at the back of the departure lobby, is a loft-like tenant area that stretches from the 3rd to 4th floors. Take the central escalator to the 4th floor and you'll come across a spacious event area.

On the day we visited, the "Centrair Yumeakari Project" illuminations were on display (until March 31, 2021). Based on the theme of "Lighting the Light of Hope Together, with Hearts Uniting," trees resembling a tree-lined avenue and plastic bottle trees handmade by local elementary school students were set up, sparkling and shining.

You can ride a Segway across the 300m long wooden deck.

As you continue towards the terminal, you will come across the Sky Deck that stretches straight out towards the runway. This 300m long wooden outdoor area offers a dynamic view of planes taking off and landing, and ships coming and going at Nagoya Port.

You can also try the "Segway Guided Tour in Centrair." In addition to the Sky Deck, you can also race around the outdoor Centrair Garden and the indoor slopes accompanied by staff members. It's a unique way to enjoy the charms of the airport.

*Reservation required

Segway Guided Tour in Centrair

An authentic French restaurant boasting views unique to the airport

At the end of the Sky Deck, at the tip of the Center Pier Garden, you will find the French restaurant "Alice Dining." With seating for over 100 people, the spacious restaurant offers a close-up view of the runway. Only course meals are offered, and currently the "Berry Strawberry Lunch FINAL" is being held, where you can eat all-you-can-eat fresh strawberries from Aichi Prefecture and a strawberry sweets side buffet in addition to the French lunch course.

*Reservation required by 4pm 3 days in advance

Alice Dining

*The "Berry Strawberry Lunch FINAL" will be available until March 31st. The restaurant will be open until May 9th.

Enjoy exquisite Nagoya cuisine in a charming tenant zone with both Western and Japanese styles

Centrair has so many other gourmet spots that it's hard to choose. Sky Town on the 4th floor has its own theme for each zone, including Brick Street, which has a European-style streetscape, and Lantern Alley, which has a traditional Japanese atmosphere.

There are a ton of themed shops and gourmet spots lined up around the airport, but if you're here, you should definitely try the local flavors. At Maruha Shokudo in Chochin Yokocho, you can enjoy not only typical Nagoya cuisine, but also fresh seafood from Ise Bay, which the airport faces. We recommend the Centrair Set Meal (1,430 yen, tax included). It comes with Nagoya's specialty fried shrimp and seasonal sashimi.

Maruha Restaurant

There is also a wide selection of souvenirs. For example, at Sample Kobo, you can purchase food samples, a little-known specialty of Gujo Hachiman, located near Chubu Centrair International Airport. There are many unique products on offer, such as the Nagoya Souvenir! Package (1,375 yen, tax included), which features Nagoya cuisine on a cute keychain.

Sample Workshop

In addition, the Centrair Official Shop SORAMONO has a wide variety of items that can only be purchased at Centrair. In addition to the original characters, Centrair Friends, and original JAL items, they also stock airline goods that are a must-see for aviation fans.

Centrair Official Shop SORAMONO

"FLIGHT PARK" by teamLab

Well, when talking about the charms of Centrair, one thing that cannot be left out is the airplane theme park "FLIGHT OF DREAMS." It takes about 7 minutes to walk from Terminal 1 through the Access Plaza and the concourse. Inside the huge building, there is an actual Boeing 787, the latest aircraft also used by JAL, on display.

You can access "FLIGHT PARK" from the first floor. This area was produced by "TeamLab," a globally acclaimed digital art group. It is made up of experiential digital content, allowing you to learn about airplanes while having fun.

For example, in the Airline Studio you can enter a fictional world and experience working in the aircraft industry, and you can also see the actual cockpit of the first Boeing 787.

The highlight is the visual and audio show "Fly with 787 Dreamliner." Images are projected onto the aircraft and the interior of the museum, creating the illusion that a Boeing 787 is flying around in a digital space.

FLIGHT OF DREAMS

Enjoy shopping in the streets of Seattle, Boeing's hometown.

There are other things to see inside the building, such as the "Seattle Terrace," which recreates the streetscape of Seattle, where Boeing was founded, and is lined with restaurants from Seattle, including "STARBUCKS."

If you're looking for souvenirs, be sure to check out the "BOEING STORE." The only official Boeing store in the world (excluding the United States) is here at Centrair. They have an amazing selection of original goods that you can only get here.

In addition to the popular printed can cookies (10 pieces for 972 yen, tax included), logo handkerchiefs (1,375 yen, tax included), flight tag chains (1,100 yen, tax included), smartphone rings (1,540 yen, tax included), and even one-of-a-kind airplane parts (!), the product lineup is sure to amaze you.

BOEING STORE

Centrair's potential can't be fully enjoyed just between flights

Centrair has other attractions as well. For example, "M's DINING" on the 4th floor of Terminal 1 is collaborating with JAL. You can enjoy a menu inspired by the in-flight meals actually served on international flights (for a limited time until February 15th).

As you can see, there is a wealth of things to see at Centrair. You may not be satisfied with enjoying everything there is to see in between flights. You may not be familiar with the idea of an airport as a destination, but why not choose Centrair as your next travel destination? We are sure you will have a holiday that is different from usual.

*Some content was updated on February 3, 2021.