Ibaraki Prefecture has nixed a proposal by a group of travel experts to nickname the local airport "Tokyo Ibaraki International Airport" after facing a barrage of opposition from residents, including some saying it would lead to the prefecture losing pride.
The prefecture, located northeast of the capital, is home to Ibaraki Airport. In a bid to attract more foreign passengers, the authorities asked the experts in January to come up with a nickname for use overseas.
In May, the experts recommended that the airport, about 80 kilometers from Tokyo Station, be nicknamed Tokyo Ibaraki International Airport to tout its proximity to the Tokyo metropolitan area.
However, Gov. Kazuhiko Oigawa decided earlier in June to dub the airport "Ibaraki International Airport," as most opinions from the public received by the prefecture stated opposition to including Tokyo in the nickname. Some said having Tokyo in the nickname would mislead foreign travelers into believing that the airport was located in Tokyo, when in reality the prefecture doesn't even share a border with the capital.
Narita Airport, a major gateway, is also known as Tokyo Narita airport, but it is actually located in Chiba Prefecture. The distance between the airport in Chiba, adjoining Tokyo, and Tokyo Station is roughly 57 km.