Taking flight with the Spirit of Noto: The Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport

What Pokémon Can Do

To support recovery from the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake and revitalize tourism of the region, Noto Satoyama Pokémon with You Airport opened its doors on July 7, 2026. It is the world’s first airport to receive the Pokémon name.

Ishikawa Prefecture joined forces with the “POKÉMON with YOU Foundation” to lead the way for Noto Satoyama Airport’s renovations and nickname change. The foundation traces its origins back to the days following the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami that occurred on March 11, 2011, when volunteer employees visited the Tohoku region along with Pikachu.

After establishing itself as an independent foundation in 2021, the organization has been promoting disaster prevention and supporting Children's Cafeterias. The disaster two years ago on the Noto Peninsula was no different, and the Foundation immediately jumped into action. Following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the foundation immediately began relief efforts.

A foundation representative explained the intent behind the renovations: “Visiting Noto Satoyama Airport so often made me realize just how convenient it is. It’s about a 50 to 60 minute flight from Tokyo. We wanted to capitalize on its role as the gateway to Noto Peninsula and encourage more people to visit.”

Our team recognized Noto Airport as a crucial stepping stone to disaster recovery. When we asked ourselves what Pokémon could do to aid the impacted areas, the idea of a working with the airport, a facility directly linked to tourism, naturally took shape.

Considering all the Pokémon fans across Japan, wouldn’t inspiring them to visit the area offer a significant boost to recovery efforts? This insight was the initial step that led to the launch of the renovation initiative.

Filling the Airport with a Passion for Flying

“Noto Satoyama Airport” was introduced as the airport’s nickname in 2014 and was originally selected by residents of the region. While we wanted to highlight the collaboration with Pokémon, it was also important to us to honor the name the local community had loved for so many years. Seeking to strike a balance, we landed on the new nickname, “Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport.” 

A foundation representative noted how the facility itself helped shape the creative decisions: “The atrium in the terminal is quite welcoming with its airy and open layout. It really inspired our decorative designs,” one foundation representative shared.

All currently discovered 111 Flying-Type Pokémon can be seen soaring on the walls of the atrium. “We encourage visitors to search for their favorite Pokémon,” invites a staff member with a smile.

The arrivals lobby features the commemorative artwork, Akarui-Mirai (=Bright Future) originally unveiled in July 2024 to celebrate the signing of the partnership agreement. Showcasing Noto’s lush natural scenery and terraced rice fields reminiscent of the Senmaida Rice Terraces in Wajima, the visual is quite an uplifting welcome for all arriving travelers.

We also produced a fun activity enabling visitors to view a series of original short videos, titled Airport Background Story, directly on their smartphones. When airport visitors hold their phones near any of three sculptures found throughout the terminal, the microphone detects the featured Pokémon’s cry and unlocks an exclusive video. One such video, named Fly! Bagon, Fly! tells the story of a Bagon who yearns to fly.

“This video ties to the sculpture of Bagon looking up at Salamence. It’s something that you can only see inside the airport, so we hope visitors really enjoy it,” a foundation representative shared.

Another original artwork, Kibou-no-Sora (=Sky of Hope), depicts several Pokémon taking to the skies with a Salamence in the forefront. We featured this visual wrapped across regional transit buses and official commemorative merchandise.

Making the Airport a Gateway to Noto Tourism

Throughout all of our creative planning, the team held firmly to a specific guiding principle: Rather than visitors simply coming to the airport, having a good time, and leaving, we wanted it to be the starting point for exploring Noto.

A foundation representative explained the purpose behind connecting the terminal to the wider area: “The disaster worsened population outflow from the region, and tourism associations told us firsthand how heartbreaking it has been to have fewer visitors. We’re really pushing the link between the airport and tourism hotspots as a way to bring back the liveliness of the Noto Peninsula.” 

The Prefecture and the foundation rolled out several regional attractions to encourage visitors to explore and enjoy the surrounding cities, with the airport serving as the hub. Outside of the terminal, travelers can encounter Pokémon throughout Noto, including sightseeing tour buses, a commemorative monument, and a stamp rally, just to name a few.

Post-Opening Response & Spreading the Word

Within just one month of reopening, the impact has been evident. Airport visitors surged to over 94,000, a five-fold increase compared to the same period the year before.

Airport guests praised the attention to detail, with one person noting, “This goes far beyond what I had imagined.” Residents shared similarly warm sentiments, offering comments such as, “I came to check it out since it was trending and had a great time,” and “I’ve never seen such a vibrant airport.”

Reflecting on the reception, a foundation representative expressed gratitude: “We thought long and hard about how Pokémon could legitimately help the people here. We made a conscious effort to not impose our own ideas and focus on what the residents really needed. Building on those efforts step by step made this great response possible, and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out."

Above all, the Noto Peninsula is the true focal point. The representative emphasized that the renovations were meant to spread the word about Noto’s unique character and charm:

“The food is incredible, and the people are kind. Noto is a truly wonderful place. Unfortunately, there are still some areas that haven’t fully recovered yet. That’s all the more reason we hope that Pokémon can act as a bridge to encourage more and more people to come visit and discover what Noto has to offer.”