Hello Kitty

Souvenir Sunday at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport

October 24, 2010Harriet BaskasAir Travel, Airport shops, Airports, Fun Stuff, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirsairport souvenirs, Hello Kitty, Kit Kat, Sirotan, stuck at the airport, Tokyo Haneda Airport

During an opening-day tour of the brand new International Terminal at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (officially: Tokyo International Airport) last week, I spent a good amount of time searching for souvenirs on the pre-security shopping street designed to evoke a very early style Japanese village.

And because Souvenir Sunday was coming up, I of course looked for inexpensive “of” the city or region items to share with you.

First up: Green Tea and wasabi-flavored Japanese Kit Kat bars, available by the single bar, the 12-bar box and in much larger mini-multi-pack versions.

Other Kit Kat flavors being offered at the airport included strawberry cheese cake, blueberry chese cake, and Intense Roasted Soybean Flavor.

It turns out that’s just a small selection of the wild and wacky Kit Kat flavors available elsewhere in Japan – and around the world. Here’s a link to Fried Toast’s Flickr set of more than 100 types of Kit Kat ‘flavors.’)

I stocked up on Kit Kats and hit the Hello Kitty Store:

I contemplated buying these Super Hero-shaped water bottles, but realized I’d have to give them up at the security checkpoint.

Instead I bought these cookies, which depict the airline of Sirotan, a white seal character popular in Japan –

And, just because they looked fun and colorful, some paper souvenirs.

After a morning poking around the shops in the International Terminal, I headed back to my hotel – which was conveniently located inside one of the airport’s two domestic terminals. And there, at the Starbucks in the mall attached to Terminal 2, I found these special Starbucks mugs, made especially as an airport souvenir.

Snack Saturday at Haneda Airport’s new International Terminal

October 23, 2010Harriet BaskasAirport guides, Airport shops, Layover, Observation Decks, Openings, Planespotting, Shopping, Snack Saturday, Transportationgreen tea ice cream, Haneda Airport, Hello Kitty, monorail, Narita International Airport, terminal openings

Ever since the opening of Narita International Airport (NRT) back in 1978, Tokyo’s Haneda Airport has been used for predominantly domestic flights within Japan and some charter flights within Asia.

But as of Thursday, October 21, 2010, Haneda Airport has a new runway and a brand new International Terminal that’s filled with shiny new arrival and departures halls, gleaming gate areas, and dozens of new restaurants and shops.

An increased schedule of international flights to North America, Europe and Asia begins on October 31^st.

The big advantage of flying into Haneda Airport will be the time you’ll save getting to and from Tokyo. By express train, it’s an hour’s ride from Narita Airport to Tokyo.

From Haneda, you can get to town on a monoral or a train in about 20 minutes.

The other advantage: Haneda’s International Terminal is brand new.

I was on site for opening day inspecting the restaurants, the shops and the new amenities along with what seemed to be at least half the population of Japan.

Several hundred people lined up as early as 3 in the morning to be among the first to ride the new monorail connection to the airport. And throughout the day thousands of what the airlines certainly hope will be future passengers made their way out to the terminal just to take a look around.

They visited the outdoor observation deck. Even though it was raining and there wasn’t much you could see.

They cheered on the cars zipping around the airport’s slot car racetrack.

They bought Hello Kitty souvenirs in a Hello Kitty store that a father of two young Hello Kitty fans assured me was among the most-well stocked Hello Kitty stores he’s seen.

And they waited patiently to be among the first to have a meal in brand new airport eateries that range from a pizzeria with a brick oven to a French café and a restaurant where sushi is delivered via conveyor belt.

Around lunch time, I joined one of the longest lines at the airport. The one where people were waiting to order green-tea soft swirl from the newest branch of Kyo Hayashiya, a sweets vendor that has its roots in a teahouse established in 1753.

And like this woman who was buying ice cream for herself and a friend, I sat and ate the swirled, sweet treat while contemplating future adventures that might start at this sparkling new airport.

There’s lots more to share about the amenities at Haneda’s International Terminal – and the two domestic terminals, which are quite swanky.

But in the meantime, here are links to the opening day reports from two travel colleagues, Airline Reporter David Brown and Jaunted’s Cynthia Drescher.

Wave goodbye to the Hello Kitty airplanes

November 5, 2008Harriet BaskasWeirdEVA Air, Hello Kitty

Goodbye, Kitty?

According to an article from Pacific Business News, EVA Air has announced that it will soon be phasing out its two official all-Hello Kitty jets.

“The jets feature the Sanrio Co.’s famous white cat with a big pink ribbon over one ear and a few of her other feline friends. EVA Air launched the first jet in October 2005 and the second in 2006. Passengers on the flights get the Hello Kitty experience from the time they board with luggage tags and boarding passes, to napkins, utensils, meals and decor. Flight attendants even wear pink aprons.”

One Hello Kitty Airbus 330-200 jet will be taken out of service in early December. The second jet will be taken out of service in March.

Want to catch the kitty? You’ll have to head to Asia, where the two jets are used on short trips, mostly between Taipei and various destinations in Japan.

(Photo courtesy: EVA Air)