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Regional Revitalization Centered on Airports: Initiatives at Japanese Airports

By Yukiko Nakamura

1. Background

Airports are not only hubs for the movement of people and goods but can also serve as “cores” for showcasing the appeal of the regions where they are located.

While airports are gateways that welcome many passengers, they also function as icons that convey the unique attractions of their surrounding areas. Moreover, the areas around airports tend to host industries related to airport operations and transportation, serve as valuable tourism resources, and provide residential zones for many of the people working at the airport. By collaborating with their surrounding communities, airports can not only promote greater use of their facilities but also help enrich local communities.

In Japan, initiatives are increasing where airport operators closely collaborate with local governments and businesses in the airport's region to leverage this potential and revitalize the area. The following introduces some of these initiatives.

2. Initiatives of Airports in Japan

Case 1 - Narita International Airport

Narita Airport is Japan's busiest airport for international passengers, connected to 123 cities worldwide (As of April 2025). While the airport is accessible from central Tokyo in about one hour, it is located in Chiba Prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo. Narita City, where the airport is situated, and its surrounding areas boast many tourist attractions and local specialties, including historical buildings like temples, traditional streetscapes, and abundant natural scenery.

Narita Airport Location and Surrounding Area

(Image Source: Visit Chiba)

Narita Airport has been working on expansion projects to prepare for future growth in air traffic demand in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Its plan is to increase the annual slot capacity from 300,000 to 500,000 by March 2029 through the extension of existing runway and the construction of a new one. In addition to expanding runway capacity, the airport envisions consolidating passenger terminals and developing a new cargo area to enhance both passenger and cargo handling capacity. Importantly, the plan also emphasizes collaboration and co-development with surrounding regions, not just expansion of the airport itself.

Narita "Airport City" Concept

In June 2025, Narita Airport, together with Chiba Prefecture and surrounding municipalities, announced the "Airport City Concept," aiming for integrated growth of the airport and its surrounding areas. Its concepts and vision are as follows.

■Concepts

A key national project to strengthen Narita Airport's international competitiveness and drive Japan's growth strategy

Harnessing global dynamism to maximize the inherent potential of Japan, Narita Airport, and the surrounding region

Transforming into a metropolitan area that leads the world

■Vision

Becoming a flagship airport city that continues to make Japan shine on the global stage

Generating vitality through fostering next-generation industries and leveraging digital transformation.

Forming an international industrial hub, Japan's most global city = a future-oriented airport city

Forming the airport region's unique identity and landscape

■Zoning

Creation of a broad economic sphere centered on the airport

Dividing the Narita Airport area into five interconnected zones to form a globally leading airport city region; utilizing the high accessibility and prime locations of the four zones near the airport to establish international industrial and logistics hubs

Simultaneously forming integrated industrial, residential, and tourism hubs where the airport and surrounding areas organically collaborate

Conceptual Zoning of the Airport Periphery Area

(Image Source: Narita Airport City Concept)

1. Industrial Gateway (Red): A mixed-use zone where logistics and industrial functions coexist with high-value-added agriculture and export hubs

2. Sky Frontier Cross (Blue): A cluster zone for advanced industries and training facilities, centered on the aerospace industry

3. Life Science Park (Yellow): A cluster zone for life science businesses centered around medical and R&D hubs

4. Access Business Hub (Green): A hub zone featuring business and lodging functions

Development and Sales of Products Using Local Specialties

Narita Airport also collaborates with local producers and businesses to develop products using specialty items from the surrounding area, selling them both inside and outside the airport. 　Examples include sweets made from local agricultural products such as sweet potatoes and peanuts, craft beer brewed with Chiba-grown olives and Japanese pepper, and original gin flavored with timber felled during airport expansion work. These uniquely developed products not only appeal to airport users through on-site sales but are also sold in local stores and online, promoting the airport and its surrounding region to wider audiences. This enhances recognition, supports future tourism growth, and increases sales of local products.

Original confections and alcoholic beverages using local specialty ingredients

(Image Source: +NRT Factory, NARITA AIRPORT to TABLE)

Creation of the promotional brand "NARITA BEYOND"

Narita Airport has also launched “NARITA BEYOND,” a destination promotion brand that highlights the attractions of the surrounding area. Through an information space within the airport, as well as a website that allows users to book local experiences, dining, and accommodation, the initiative aims to deliver regional information to a wider audience, stimulating tourism and local consumption. Although Narita is close to Tokyo, travelers often bypass Chiba Prefecture altogether. This initiative addresses that challenge by positioning the airport’s surrounding area as a destination in its own right, generating benefits for both the airport and the region.

The "NARITA BEYOND" website introduces the attractions and experiences around Narita Airport (Image Source: NARITA BEYOND)

The information hub for "NARITA BEYOND," which opened in August, 2025 at Narita Airport's Terminal 1

(Image Source: https://pnl.jp/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/20250725_naritabeyond.pdf)

Case 2 - Nanki-Shirahama Airport (Kumano Shirahama Resort Airport)

Nanki-Shirahama Airport is located in Wakayama Prefecture, in Japan's Kansai region, with approximately 235,000 passengers recorded in fiscal year 2024. The airport is relatively close to Kyoto and Osaka. Wakayama Prefecture is also blessed with rich tourism resources, including the World Heritage sites of Kumano Kodo and Koyasan, as well as beaches, hot springs, and recreation parks. Although Nanki-Shirahama Airport is a relatively small airport in terms of passenger volume, it actively engages with the local community, promoting tourism resources and encouraging travel within the region. This approach aims to revitalize the surrounding area and boost airport usage.

Location of Wakayama Prefecture and Kumano-Shirahama Resort Airport (Nanki-Shirahama Airport)

(Image Source: Wakayama Travel Guide)

Enhancing Regional Circulation and Convenience with Facial Recognition

Nanki Shirahama Airport collaborated with NEC, a company with advanced facial recognition technology, to conduct pilot projects from 2019 to February 2025. The service allowed registered users (by uploading facial images and credit card information in advance) to make payments at participating stores through facial recognition, unlock hotel rooms, and gain fast-track entry to recreational facilities.

Additionally, electronic coupons were linked to the system, encouraging tourists to visit multiple facilities while collecting valuable data on consumer behavior. This initiative, led by the airport in collaboration with private companies and local governments, represented a novel IT-driven effort to promote regional tourism and attracted significant attention in Japan.

Image of the facial recognition service

(Image Source: Nanki Shirahama "Only Here" Experience)

Participating facilities of the project (at the time of the pilot project)

(Image Source: Nanki Shirahama "Only Here" Experience)

3. Conclusion

In Japan, airports are evolving beyond mere transit points to become hubs that disseminate regional information and appeal, attract visitors, and drive integrated regional development. The Japanese government has positioned "regional revitalization" as a key policy theme and has been pursuing it long-term. At the same time, efforts to attract inbound travelers are being strengthened, with the dual aims of spreading economic benefits to regional areas and addressing over-tourism in major cities. Airports are expected to continue evolving as bridges that connect local communities with travelers, serving as models for promoting regional exchange, tourism, and international outreach.

References

Visit Chiba

https://www.visitchiba.jp/

Narita Airport "Airport City" Concept

https://www.narita-airport.jp/files/e8dcfc7ebbb6416e580989eb56a9b92b96307709d7fee29441e84a81127cb6fa

https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kuushin/narita/kousoukouhyou.html

+NRT Factory

https://plusnaritafactory.com/EN

NARITA AIRPORT to TABLE

https://www.narita-airport.jp/en/company/sustainability/examples/narita-airport-totable/

NARITA BEYOND

https://narita-beyond.jp/en/