Airport News Japan

Tourists to Japan Welcomed by “Nodate” Set Up by Wakayama University Students at Kansai Airport

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Foreign visitors enjoyed Nodate. Photo: Kansai International Airport

On December 19, a “nodate,” which is (typically) an outdoor area for drinking tea, was set up by students from Wakayama University on the International Arrivals Floor on the first floor of Kansai Airport’s passenger terminal.

The airport and members of the student association at the university’s Faculty of Tourism joined together to welcome foreign visitors to Japan with traditional Japanese culture. The project got its start with a proposal from the university and was then put on for the first time ever.

The nodate was open for two sessions of two hours on the day for visitors to enjoy tea in an “outdoor” setting, and tourists were treated with freshly brewed tea and Japanese snacks. They also had the opportunity to have commemorative photos taken with students dressed in Heian-style clothing worn by the women who walked to Kumano Shrine during the Heian period. The students also took ideas from their studies in tourism and promoted tourist locations in Wakayama at the nodate, such as the Kumano Kodo pilgramage route, a World Heritage Site. The event was a big success, with over 400 foreign travelers visiting. There were plenty of smiles as people enjoyed Japanese culture.

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