Editor’s Choice V
Segmenting the offer through ‘Mood Zones’ at Kansai International
Kansai Airports has struck agreements with partners for 23 retail and dining outlets amid the latest phase of renovations in international departures at Kansai International Airport Terminal 1.
There are 16 spaces allocated to retail and seven to food & beverage, with many of the concepts firsts for Japanese airports or for the region. The new outlets are all scheduled to open by summer 2026.
The centre of the new international departures area has been expanded by +60%, and the commercial space divided into distinct ‘Mood’ zones.
Highlights include eight boutiques in a Wallside zone dedicated to fashion & accessories brands Burberry, Loewe, Gentle Monster, Swatch, Omega, Tiffany & Co, Issey Miyake and Moncler. The Gentle Monster and Moncler boutiques are firsts for Japanese airports.
In a Magnet Area blending F&B and retail either side of the main departures area, Wolfgang Puck Kitchen Counter is a new addition, while Crystal Jade – La Mian Xiao Long Bao comes to Kansai for the first time with its blend of Shanghainese classics and regional favourites.
Food court concept Shokusai-dori is a first for the Kansai region and at a Japanese airport, while healthy grab & go outlet Fresh is also a first for Kansai. In the same zone, Taste of Japan – Kansai Tabinikki is a speciality store offering a wide selection of sweets and souvenirs.
A four-outlet Fun Mood zone includes character goods store Kawaii Buzz, travel essentials and destination goods from Sakura Voyage, casual Kobe beef steak restaurant Kobist – Bifuteki Kawamura (a first for Kansai and for Japanese airports), while Universal Studios Japan, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026, will open its first official merchandise shop at Kansai International Airport.
Elsewhere, a Peaceful Mood area blends dining and retail with further innovative concepts from Beppinsan, the airport’s first health and beauty speciality store, to Kamameshi & Matcha Tsumugi, a new concept from Japanese café Tsumugi.
T1 renovation schedule
International Commercial Area on 2nd Floor of Terminal 1
Comment: Kansai Airports continues to enhance its already impressively diverse consumer offer with the Phase 4 completion of its T1 international departures commercial environment.
The T1 redesign and renovation began in stages in 2021 to expand international flight capacity, enhance airside space and improve the passenger experience. The major work was completed in March 2025 ahead of the opening of the Osaka/Kansai Expo.
The ‘Mood Zones’ mirror how airports in Japan and elsewhere are seeking to engage guests using emotion and tapping into their various need states as they travel. With its blend of global and local brands and newness right across the T1 offer, Kansai Airports is doing this triumphantly.
Partner’s message
Partner’s message
The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 347 | 26 September 2025
The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 6 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (MA Travel Retail). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please email kristyn@moodiedavittreport.com