(CNN) – It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a … Jigglypuff?
Some Pokémon-themed planes are beginning to appear in the Japanese sky.
Solaseed Airlines, a local carrier based on the Japanese island of Kyushu, debuted a painted Pokémon plane on December 19. His maiden flight was from Miyazaki to Tokyo Haneda Airport.
The plane is part of a tourist collaboration between The Pokémon Company (which owns and licenses the characters) and several regions in Japan. Miyazaki, on the east coast of Kyushu, is the eighth prefecture to join the partnership.
The Exeggutor’s characteristic colors are part of the onboard design.
Courtesy of Solaseed Air
Each prefecture receives its own dedicated Pokémon. Miyazaki’s is the exeggutor, chosen because it resembles the phoenix palm native to the region, while the island of Hokkaido to the north has the Alolan Vulpix (suitable for cold weather, suitable for the snowy province) and Fukushima is represented by pink. Colorful Chansey, which has healing powers.
And it is not just the exterior of the plane that features the Exeggutor. On board, the seats have an Exeggutor headrest, and some passengers received special gifts from the Exeggutor, such as pens and stickers.
For people who do not have air travel in their plans, there are also buses with an Exeggutor theme in the city of Miyazaki, Miyakonojo and Nobeoka, all within Miyazaki Prefecture. The planes and special buses will be operating at least until the end of 2021.
The liveries painted with popular characters are a fun tradition in the aviation industry. Jake, Finn and Princess Bubblegum from the popular TV show “Adventure Time” appeared on Cartoon Network aircraft on Thai Smile, a regional carrier in Thailand.
CNN’s Junko Ogura contributed reporting.
