Formerly known as Sapporo Airport, New Chitose Airport is by far the most interesting and quirky airport I’ve ever been to.
You may know it as Sapporo Airport or by its new name New Chitose Airport (just so you know that it is, in fact, new), this vast airport has a real shopping mall vibe to it.
Clever Layout
One of the coolest things I liked about New Chitose Airport is how they cleverly connect the international and domestic terminals so you don’t have to walk a marathon to transition between them.
Both terminals are given equal access to all the luxuries and facilities of the airport, so no matter where you’re flying off to, you can get the most out of your time here.
Shopping At Sky Market
A catchy name for an airport shopping alley, New Chitose Airport’s Sky Market offers a series of clothing and accessory stalls lined up like a real Japanese market street.
There are even cool LCD lights that make it feel like you’re shopping at one of Japan’s popular night markets.
The balcony at Sky Market also gives you a good lookout point of the main courtyard of New Chitose Airport and is a good central spot for deciding where you want to head next.
As you walk through Sky Market, you’ll find plenty of affordable souvenirs to take with you on your flight.
From clothes to shoes, accessories, books, and more, there is plenty to explore in this little shopping street.
Personally, I’m not one to buy take-home goods at an airport, but even I was intrigued by some of the unique items on offer.
At the very least, Sky Market helped me kill time until my flight (I definitely got there too early).
Walking Down Smile Road
You can probably tell from the name alone, but Smile Road is basically a section of the airport that appeals to young children.
Offering cute little shops to buy toys and confectionaries and featuring some iconic names like Hello Kitty, Pokémon, and Doraemon, I’d say some of the adults were getting more excited on Smile Road than the kids!
I’ve never been a big Pokémon fan (I prefer Dragon Ball), but this store seemed like a dream come true for fans of the franchise.
In addition to the figures, accessories, and souvenirs on offer, you could play some interactive Pokémon games on the arcade machines. Just make sure you give the kids a chance to play too.
It’s always good to get a reminder about Sapporo hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics, even if it has been half a century since then.
What better way to serve this reminder than with a Doraemon statue carrying the Olympic torch?
This little guy stands proudly at the international terminal food court at New Chitose Airport, and yes, you’re welcome to take selfies with him.
Food Court
Speaking of food courts, New Chitose Airport has a few of them, the biggest being the one at the international terminal.
Here, you will find the main flock of hungry people filling up the endless rows of tables and chairs.
The pole position is right next to the window, where you can watch brilliant scenes of planes taking off and landing.
Whether you’re craving burgers, rice, noodles, seafood, or steak, you’ll find it all at New Chitose Airport’s international terminal food court.
In Japan, there is a concept known as “Eki-Ben” which refers to bentos (lunch packs) that are sold at train stations for the purpose of eating on bullet trains (Eki = train station, Ben = short for bento i.e., lunch pack).
Well, at Japanese airports, there is a similar concept called “Sora-Ben,” that is, lunch packs that are designed for eating on the plane (Sora = sky, Ben = short for bento).
I thought the concept was pretty cool as I’ve never seen something like it at other airports, though given the short duration of my flight, I ultimately didn’t buy one, maybe next time!
Enjoying My Last Bit Of Hokkaido Dairy
It’s always nice when an airport honors the aspects of its prefecture that it’s best known for. I often talk about the phenomenon of Hokkaido’s fresh dairy produce, known for its creamy texture and unbeatable taste.
I’ve also spoken about the Akihabara milk stand which, until now, I believed to be the best milk in Japan.
New Chitose Airport’s milk stand puts Akihabara to rest, offering up these incredibly fresh milk drinks which I could only describe as containing drugs.
Each sip left me yearning for more! I tried the plain milk and the coffee milk varieties, both of which were easily the best of their kind.
Milk, ice cream, and cheesecake are what Hokkaido is all about!
In addition to the milk stand and soft-serve parlors, New Chitose Airport also has a fair share of cake shops where you can buy super soft cheesecakes as a souvenir gift.
Again, I was incredibly tempted to buy one of these, but being the frugal man I am I simply had to resist on this occasion, next time for sure!
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