
Danny Choo, founder of Culture Japan and inexhaustible ambassador for all things moe, announced the collaboration between his mascot Mirai Suenaga and the Thai airline Asian Air on his website this week. Read on to find out just how far their plans for anime-themed air domination go.
Mirai Suenaga is Culture Japan’s cute and perky mascot, who is also an official mascot for Japanese tourism. Created in 2007, she now travels the world promoting Japanese culture and, as you might expect, has a dedicated fan following. She’s already appeared in collaborations with Japanese brands such as Kadokawa and Nitroplus, but now it looks like she’s branching out even further – and bigger!
On April 1 both Asian Air and Culture Japan officially announced that they’d be collaborating to bring about the ultimate (and perhaps only?) anime flight experience. Their vision is a fully-decorated plane reminiscent of the Pokemon x ANA collaboration, but the Mirai madness won’t stop with the exterior.
▼ The images branding the hull and body of the plane are of super-deformed ‘chibi‘ versions of the cast of CJ characters which includes Mirai and a bunch of her other nubile friends.
▼ Here’s Mirai as you’ll usually see her, with her signature two braids and skimpy white and orange uniform.
The in-flight videos and entertainment system will feature Mirai and her friends, and there will be exclusive merchandise for sale on board too. CJ will also be contributing to further branding and content such as new uniforms for the attendants. We think Mirai’s usual uniform would be a pretty good place to start! Basically, it will be a complete and inescapable Mirai experience.
▼ Here’s Mirai-chan adorably modeling the current Asian Air uniforms.
Flights will start this June between Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka, and Sapporo, with more international routes to come later. Danny and the rest of the team want to make this the best experience possible for both Mirai’s legion of current fans, and those who will no doubt be indoctrinated as new converts once they stumble off the six-hour flight.
Okay, so this was actually posted on April 1, which made us highly suspicious at first, but Danny has since posted that, just like how some of his past pranks have had a habit of becoming reality, this is the real deal. OK, Danny, we love you and we WANT to believe you, but we’ll wait until we see the planes on the tarmac if that’s OK?
Source: Hachima Kikou, Culture Japan, Asian Air







Japan Airlines concludes cabin attendant drank bottle of champagne during flight
Free in-flight KitKats discontinued by Japanese airline, sad day for sweets and Pokémon fans
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
We test Daiso’s new storage container to see if it keeps rice fluffy even after freezing
Starbucks Japan opens new Kyoto store in Place of Scenic Beauty
The most preposterous “adult” gacha capsule toys at Akihabara Station
This balding middle-aged fairy is one of Japan’s most unique mascot characters
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood
Is Japan’s Crab-shaped Cup Ramen Timer worth the hype?
Pizza Hut Japan teams up with creator of one of the country’s best kinds of ramen for ramen pizza
Starbucks Japan releases a new Cream Puff Frappuccino for a limited time
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Pikachu and Eevee become handmade Lladró porcelain sculptures to celebrate Pokémon’s 30th birthday
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says