People watch the first plane leave the new Central Japan International Airport which opened Feb. 17.

Early in the morning, thousands of visitors arrived at the airport -- built on a man-made island in Ise Bay -- to celebrate the arrival of the first flights and soak up the atmosphere.

About 300 people on the observation deck welcomed the first plane, a Japan Airlines chartered flight from Saipan, which landed on the 3,500-meter runway to applause.

Long lines of customers snaked out of stores in the fourth-floor shopping center, where gift shops, restaurants and coffee shops have traditional- and Western-style facades.

The airport is the first in Japan to house a public bath. At ¥900 for adults, the bath offers users a panoramic view of the runway and Ise Bay.

During its first year of operation, the airport will handle about 320 international and 700 domestic flights a week.

The Japan Times Weekly: Feb. 26, 2005
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