How can airplanes fly despite their weight? How are aircraft maintenance carried out? A tour and museum near Haneda Airport offers easy-to-understand explanations of these questions, bringing air travel closer to you. It's called the "JAL Factory Tour SKY MUSEUM." Operated by Japan Airlines (JAL), this facility offers an exhibition area showcasing JAL's history and the work of its staff, a tour of the maintenance workshop where aircraft are actually maintained, and even an aviation class to learn about how airplanes fly. Tours are free, but advance reservations are required online. Tours are held four times a day, excluding the New Year holidays, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM, 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM, and 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Reservations are accepted starting at 9:30 AM on the same day, six months in advance. The tour lasts approximately 90 minutes, and is divided into a 20-minute tour of the exhibition area, a 30-minute aviation classroom, and a 40-minute tour of the hangar area. The exhibition area is comprised of the Archives Area, which traces JAL's history from its founding in 1951 to the present, and the Job Introduction Area, which introduces the work and "seven tools" used by flight attendants, flight crew, and mechanics. In the Archives Area, visitors can admire a vibrant display of uniforms from past eras, as well as stylish in-flight magazines and posters that have colored JAL's history. The Job Introduction Area provides easy-to-understand illustrations of each staff member's job and also offers various simulated experiences. The highlight is a simulated experience of ground handling staff guiding an airplane. While watching the plane displayed on a screen, visitors can hold paddles in both hands to guide the plane, learning how to give signals such as "go forward" and "turn right." There are also seats for flight attendants that were actually used, and many visitors sit on them to take commemorative photos. Photography is permitted during the tour. However, please note that posting to blogs, Facebook, etc. is prohibited.

To conclude your "exhibition area tour," we recommend taking a commemorative photo wearing the uniforms of pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, and airport staff. Since these uniforms were prepared specifically for photography, they are simple to wear; just put the sleeves on from the front and fasten the Velcro at the back, just like an apron. The ease of wearing them over your clothes is great.

The "Aviation Classroom" is taught by alumni of the company. Drawing on their respective experiences, they use videos and images to provide easy-to-understand explanations of airplanes and airports. Another unique feature is that classes are held in chairs arranged to resemble the interior of an airplane: three rows on the right, four in the middle, and three on the left.

The climax of the tour is the "maintenance workshop tour," where you can see an airplane being maintained. Not only can you experience the power of an airplane up close, but it's also fun to receive explanations about each part, such as the engine and tires. By the way, the fan blades of the GE engines installed in the Boeing 777 apparently cost about 10 million yen each. Each engine has about 22 fan blades, so the blades alone cost over 220 million yen.

Due to their high level of functional beauty, these fan blades are also on display at MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) in New York, and of course you're allowed to take photos!

This museum is packed with stories you'll want to tell your family and friends about after your visit.