A 'Pikachu' balloon is displayed at the Noto Airport in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture on July 7, 2026, temporarily renamed “Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport", the world's first airport to bear the name of Pokémon, for a limited time until the end of September 2029.
An airport in a remote Japanese region hit by a deadly earthquake in 2024 was given a new look on Tuesday, temporarily nicknamed after the Pokémon universe, and its lobby adorned with a floating Pikachu on a plane-shaped balloon.
The Noto Peninsula has faced a decline in tourists since the powerful 7.5-magnitude quake on New Year's Day two years ago that claimed over 700 lives.
On Tuesday, a life-size Pikachu mascot dressed as a pilot joined officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially nickname the local facility "Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport" and welcome visitors.
More than 100 Pokémon characters are displayed across the airport, including the lobby wall.
