Day 16 - Kyoto to Nagoya

This morning we got up at around 0800h to get ourselves ready for departure out of Kyoto. We packed up and cleared our rooms and as was the case on the way in, the lovely landlady tried to carry our suitcases out of the home for us. The thing is that I'm pretty sure that some of our packed luggage is now heavier than her. Our hosts at this AirBnB were both super-lovely, always looking for opportunities to support us, but equally keen not to get in our way, they seemed to achieve the perfect balance. 

We headed out and walked to Kyoto Station and caught the Shinkansen. Our timing couldn't have been any better as the N700 Series Hikari Shinkansen rolled in just as we got to the platform. It was so seamless, it was as though we walked directly from the house onto the train with no stops at all. The ride to Nagoya took around one hour with three stops along the way, and it's a great feeling to experience the high speed you are travelling at at ground level, whilst also enjoying such a smooth, comfortable ride.

Some of the view between Kyoto and Nagoya.

We passed the Panasonic Solar Ark (previously Sanyo Solar Ark) is 315 metres wide and 37 metres tall and houses over 5000 Solar Panels. It aims to cultivate a better appreciation for Solar energy. Interesting point: It is located in the geographic centre of Japan.

Check-in for our next Apartment was unable to be brought forward, so we had around four hours to kill before our 1500h minimum arrival time. So, we firstly ditched our bags into baggage lockers at the station, then we stopped for Brunch at the Esca Nagoya Shopping Mall, which adjoins the western end of the station. Note that there's also the Takashimaya Shopping Mall joining the eastern side. We then walked to the nearby Meitetsu Nagoya Station and took the Meitetsu line to Nagoya Airport (or by its correct name Chubu Centrair International Airport).

Ready to board the next train on the Meitetsu Line to Nagoya Airport.

Chubu Centrair International (Nagoya) Airport.

Nagoya Airport is one of five Japanese Airports built on an artificial island, the others being Nagasaki, Kansai, Kitakyushu and Kobe. However, artificial islands aside, the purpose of our travel to the airport was to visit the brand new Centrair Flight of Dreams centre.

Sky being photographed by Kyle in front of the Airport's Mascot.

The Flight of Dreams centre is a partnership between Centrair, Seattle and Boeing, and focuses on the Boeing 787. Wings for the worldwide Boeing 787 fleet are produced in Japan and are shipped out of Nagoya to Seattle and Charleston. Japan also played a major role in the development and financing of the Boeing 787. The Flight of Dreams key exhibit is an actual Boeing 787-8, and not just any old 787, it's actually the first ever built and the first ever flown, holding the Registration Number ZA001 and donated by Boeing.

Flight of Dreams.

ZA001 first flew on 15 December 2009, beginning what would become a six-airplane flight test and certification program for the 787-8. To date there have been 770 deliveries of the Boeing 787, which now come in three variants; -8, -9 and -10. To see it at the Flight of Dreams was pretty amazing as this was only the second aircraft that I had seen undergoing a first flight, live via a web-link, the first being the Airbus A380. 

Sky in front of one of the two Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines. Measuring 2.8 metres in diameter and generating 70-80,000 pounds of thrust, these babies cost a mere US$41.7M each.

The aircraft sits elevated and the public are free to wander all around it and even get the opportunity to venture inside to check out the cockpit. 

ZA001's cockpit.

There are also a number of additional displays (mostly for kids), centred around the Boeing 787, including;

 - Amazing imagery projected on and around the aircraft to give the sense that you are flying with the aircraft.

An incredible sound and light show which was mesmerising.

- A digital pavilion showing the manufacturing process for the aircraft.

- A paper plane music field where you can test your plane making skills through a series of LASER-like lights that create sounds as the plane passes each light-beam.

- A dome theatre where you sketch an aircraft and have it transposed in 3D and flying all around the ceiling.

- A virtual world in which you become a crew member.

- Workshops for children to experience STEM learning.

- A Boeing 787 simulator.

- The Boeing Store, where I bought a cup.

Care to buy the actual passenger windows from an aircraft. Left to Right - McDonnell Douglas MD-11, Boeing 757, Boeing 757, Boeing 737 and Douglas DC-8. All were around $1100 AUD each.

On one side of the Flight of Dreams is Seattle Terrace, where the best of Seattle's Restaurants and Shops have small outlets for visitors to try. We had some lovely burgers (including a Shrimp Burger) at the Seattle Fish Market, whilst Maureen had a Clam Chowder from Chowders.

One of the shops had some English / Japanese translation issues.

We then decided to head into the airport proper and check out the Observation Deck, and all I can say is OMFG. It was amazing, possibly the best Aircraft observation experience I have ever witnessed. The elevated terrace is enormous and stretched to within a couple of hundred metres from the main runway. There is even a food outlet up there. I thought that Haneda in Tokyo was good, but this is a whole new level of good. Here's some shots, taken with only a 80mm lens, not my usual 400mm aeroplane spotting lens.

Varying levels of interest from the family. :)

This was cool.

This photo gives some idea of the proximity to the main runway. 

The light blue aircraft in the back is the brand new Airbus A220-200.

Hard at it.

After our time at the airport, we hopped back on the Meitetsu Line back to Nagoya Station, then we caught the Subway to Joshin Station. All that was left to do was to walk through the rain in the dark to our next apartment. The new place is pretty good, quite spacious, but I think we aren't very close to any major attractions. Sky and Kyle ventured out, whilst Maureen and I stayed in. Let's see what tomorrow has in store for us in Nagoya.

That's all for today.