See, Touch and Learn! Aichi Museum of Flight

The Aichi Museum of Flight opened on November 30, 2017 (Thursday) on the grounds of Prefectural Nagoya Airport. The theme of the museum is to awaken a longing for the skies and to let visitors learn and experience what it means to fly.

The museum features an exhibition zone where visitors can see the YS-11, a domestically produced passenger aircraft, and the MU-2, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, as well as a hands-on corner where children and adults can have fun. Not only aircraft enthusiasts but also families can enjoy the museum.

In this article, we will thoroughly introduce the exhibits and highlights of the Aichi Museum of Flight.

What is the Aichi Museum of Flight?

Since the museum is located on an airfield, visitors can watch airplanes take off and land from inside the museum.

The Aichi Museum of Flight is located in Toyoyama-cho, Kasugai-gun, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is located on the grounds of the prefectural Nagoya Airport, adjacent to Airport Walk Nagoya, a shopping center that was renovated from the former international terminal.

The Aichi Museum of Flight is designed to awaken a longing for the skies, to learn about and experience what it means to fly, and to provide visitors with an opportunity to experience the joys of flight. The museum aims to disseminate information about the aviation industry, strengthen industrial tourism based on the aviation industry, and promote the development of human resources who will lead the aviation industry in the next generation.

Let’s get started!

The Road to the Beginning

The Airport Walk and the Aichi Museum of Flight are connected by a walkway on the second floor! On the connecting walkway, you will be greeted by a trick artwork of floating airplanes.

In front of the entrance gate, a model of the MD-90 in JAS (Japan Air System) colors, which also flew at Nagoya Airport, is on display.

The aircraft design in rainbow colors was created by Akira Kurosawa, one of Japan’s most famous film directors. If you look closely, you can see his signature painted on the fuselage as well.

Seven types of aircraft are assigned in sequence, in reference to the movie “Seven Samurai.”

The entrance looks like an airplane boarding gate. Just as when boarding an airplane, the barcode on the boarding pass is scanned and the passenger passes through the gate.

Once inside, it is truly a hangar itself! The ceiling is wide and spacious.

History of the “Challenge to the Sky”

This is a zone where visitors can learn about the history of airplanes in Japan and around the world. Let’s start by learning about the history of mankind and airplanes.

There are volunteer staff members in the facility who are very knowledgeable about airplanes. Guided tours are offered on an irregular basis, and if you participate, you will be given easy-to-understand explanations about the mechanisms and history of aircraft, as well as episodes related to the aircraft on display!

The “100 Famous Aircraft” where You Can See Ultra-precise Models in 1/25 scale

Here, ultra-precise models of 100 famous aircraft that have left their mark on the history of Japanese airplanes are displayed in one place. They were originally displayed in the Aerospace Museum, which was located in the terminal during the time of the former Nagoya Airport.

It was closed in 2005 when the airport was reorganized as a prefectural facility, and for a long time these aircrafts could not be seen, but they were put on permanent display in conjunction with the opening of the Aichi Museum of Flight.

The models are handmade by model craftsman Shoichi Tanaka, who spent 20 years on the project. All models are 1/25 scale, so visitors can compare the size of the aircraft and check them against the historical timeline!

The chairs installed for resting were once used in airplanes.

In the library, you can also see valuable books about airplanes.

An orientation theater where visitors can learn about the history and development of the aircraft industry through a large-screen 3D theater.