Kansai International Airport in southwestern Osaka is one of Japan's international hubs as well as a globally unusual airport, built on a man-made island in the ocean. Also known by the nickname KIX, this airport is home to the Kanku Observation Hall Sky View, which offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the runways and passenger terminal building. The roof has been made into a garden, and it is an open space where visitors can gaze up at arriving planes and children can play. At night, the lights of the airport shine like illuminations, making it a romantic date spot.
Also, on the third floor of the main hall is the Sky Museum, at which visitors can learn about the structure and history of airplanes as well as the daily work that goes on at airports through panels, video displays, and even giant passenger apron models. Visitors will also have a chance to experience airline and airport work for themselves by using a simulation of a full-scale cockpit and cabin. The Exciting Kansai Airport Tour Plan also comes highly recommended. Through the windows of a vehicle, this tour allows participants to experience places that are usually off-limits, such as in-flight food preparation areas and more.
The shopping floor is outfitted with airline goods and airplane models that collectors should be sure not to miss, and there are also plenty of KIX-limited sweets and goods that travelers can choose from to bring home as a memory of their trip.
*The Exciting Kansai Airport Tour Plan operates only on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays.

Photograph provided by Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau