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Oita Airport Is Now Hello Kitty Airport (For 6 Months)

Sanrio theme park Harmonyland announced on March 17 that it has partnered with Oita Airport to rename the airport to “Oita Hello Kitty Airport.” Harmonyland notes "the warmest airport in the world" will take this moniker from April 13 to October 13, and Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters will greet travelers to the prefecture.

In a press release, Sanrio elaborated that the renaming of Oita Airport to “Oita Hello Kitty Airport” is the first part in a tourism campaign for the prefecture. Sanrio added that a special shuttle service between the Airport and Harmonyland will run between August and October.

During a press conference, Oita Governor Kiichiro Sato said, “Sanrio character parks are only located in two locations — one in Tokyo and one in Oita Prefecture — and Harmonyland is a wonderful spot in Oita Prefecture with a charm that can be shared with the world. We hope that by promoting Oita Prefecture as a place people want to visit through this campaign, we will have a great synergistic effect.”

Sanrio Entertainment's President, Aya Komaki, also appeared at the press event. She noted Harmonyland will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2026 and “In conjunction with the Expo 2025, we will be promoting the appeal of Harmonyland and Oita Prefecture through various measures, with the keyword 'HELLO from Oita to the world.'”

The campaign is being carried out in conjunction with Expo 2025 in Osaka and in collaboration between Oita Prefecture and Sanrio. The partnership is based on the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement for Tourism Promotion and Regional Revitalization, which concluded in December 2024. The aim of the Partnership Agreement was to strengthen Oita Prefectures appeal to domestic and overseas tourists and to revitalize the region. The campaign period between Oita Prefecture and Sanrio will be between April 13 to October 13.

Sources: Harmonyland's X/Twitter account, Sanrio Entertainment's website (link 2), Nijimen