On Monday, October 27, the students of the Tourism Business class went on a school excursion to the JAL Sky Museum, located at Haneda Airport.
For them, the experience began even before arriving at the museum. They enjoyed taking the monorail, admiring the urban scenery and then the sea along the route.
The visit began with the JAL Museum. Students learned more about the many professions in aviation — especially that of cabin crew — as well as safety regulations and the technical aspects of aircraft.
They particularly enjoyed the uniform gallery, which showcases the evolution of JAL through the decades. In one area, visitors can even try on the current uniforms — an opportunity that both students and teachers happily took, capturing fun photos together.
Several aircraft cabin replicas were also open for exploration, including the cockpit, technical areas, and fuselage — a true behind-the-scenes immersion into the world of aviation! Of course, some couldn’t resist bringing home souvenirs from the museum shop.
The excursion continued with an exclusive tour of one of JAL’s maintenance hangars. Wearing safety helmets, the students followed their guide, who kindly complimented their level of Japanese. Inside, two Boeing 787s were parked. The guide explained each aircraft’s features, the impressive size of the runway, and the maintenance procedures carried out there.
Finally, the visit concluded near the runway. Students watched live takeoffs and landings as the guide commented: “This one just arrived from Beijing,” “and that one came from Miyazaki.”
A highlight of the day was spotting a Japanese government aircraft, the famous Japan Air Force One, stationed nearby.
Before leaving, the guide recommended an app that lets users identify planes flying overhead — a useful tip, especially in Shinjuku where the air traffic is quite busy!
The day ended with a cheerful group photo in front of one of the aircraft.
Everyone left with lasting memories of this unique experience.
As one student shared: “I’m usually afraid of airplanes, but after this visit, they feel much more familiar to me.”
