Airport News Japan

Ibaraki Couples Surviving Earthquake Apply to Win Free Wedding Ceremony at Kobe Airport

Enlarge Image

Wedding ceremony at Kobe Airport

January 6 was the deadline set by Kobe Airport in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture for couples living in Ibaraki Prefecture (a destination served by air service from Kobe Airport and also one of the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake) to apply to take part in a wedding ceremony in the airport's terminal on February 11.

The ceremony will be part of the events planned for Opening Memorial Week, which will commemorate Kobe Airport's sixth anniversary. As a way to lend support to the disaster area, the airport will present one couple who survived the disaster and are from Ibaraki (which is connected by air to Kobe) with a public wedding ceremony that will take place in the second-floor lobby of the terminal from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. On top of paying for the cost of the wedding and the bride and groom's outfits (a Western-style tuxedo and wedding dress plus the bride's hair, makeup and boutonniere), Kobe Airport will help pay for the couple's travel expenses by covering the cost of a roundtrip flight between Ibaraki and Kobe, accommodations in Kobe on the night before and a coupon for travel on private railways in the city.

Eligible couples were those living in Ibaraki Prefecture at the time the earthquake struck and who were unable to hold wedding ceremonies due to the disaster. Applicants were asked to submit an essay describing why they could not hold their ceremony and their thoughts about having a wedding in Kobe. As of the time this article was written, the airport will announce the winning couple soon.

Skymark Airlines Inc. currently operates two daily flights (one roundtrip flight) on a regular basis between Kobe and Ibaraki.

Poster Design Exhibit at Kobe Airport with Local Designers to Raise Airport's ValueLaunch of Redesigned Kansai Airport Magazine "KIX Magazine"Dog Hotel at Kobe Airport for Dogs Small and LargeTemporary Charter Flights to Ibaraki Airport from Shanghai - Regular Flights to ComeSkymark Suspends Ibaraki-Kobe Route - “Shared Airport” with SDF Creates Bottleneck