Having already graced the stage of NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen and Coachella, ATARASHII GAKKO! (新しい学校のリーダーズ) are showing up somewhere very different this time — a pop-up corner in the international departure area of Kansai International Airport's Terminal 1. From August 15 to 24, the airport is rolling out a 10-day summer shopping festival called "NEW KIX MATSURI," turning the group — whose overseas buzz has been surging in recent years — into the face of the entire campaign, with exclusive stickers, promo videos, and more all built around them.
The newly renovated departure area packs in nearly 50 stores, from duty-free shops and boutiques to regional Japanese souvenir stalls, cafés, and washoku restaurants. The airport's pitch to travelers is straightforward: since you're stuck in the secure zone waiting for your flight anyway, you might as well spend that time shopping. The stamp rally is simple too — spend at 2 designated stores and get either a "Sorayan" mascot pin or an exclusive ATARASHII GAKKO! sticker, while supplies last. Spend a combined total of 5,000 yen or more across 3 stores, and you're entered into a prize draw with three tiers: Prize A is a 50,000-yen Trip.com gold coin, Prize B is a 10,000-yen Visa gift card, and Prize C is a 500-yen KIX dining/shopping voucher that can be used the same day. Redemption happens at the pop-up area in the central plaza of Terminal 1's international departure zone, from 8am to 8pm Japan time.
ATARASHII GAKKO!'s role goes beyond just campaign visuals. From August 1 to 31, the official channels will drop four exclusive behind-the-scenes videos featuring the group. And from August 3 to 14 — right before the shopping festival officially kicks off — fans who follow Kansai International Airport's official X account and repost a designated tweet get a chance to win limited-edition merch from the group's overseas shows. The timing isn't a coincidence: it's designed to warm up fan enthusiasm first, then funnel that traffic straight into real spending once the festival opens.
For full details and the latest updates, check Kansai International Airport's official event page. The Chinese-language version is available at kansai-airport.or.jp/tw/notices/New_KIX_Matsuri.
