Violet H.
Yelp
For the most part, the New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido is like many other Japanese airports - well-thought out, lots of amenities, trying to make things easy and enjoyable for travelers. At the time of writing, construction work was going on. Some of it was repairs to damage done by the recent earthquake (a major section reopened the day I was leaving), but some of it appears to be an expansion.
(BTW, "Air Do" is a regional airline. Parts of Hokkaido are referred to as "do." It is not a flying beauty salon, although that would be pretty awesome if it was.)
The place is basically a big rectangle. At one end is the domestic terminal. This is where the majority of the action happens, with most of the restaurants and shops located here. There's a long corridor that connects the domestic and international terminals. There's a lot to keep kids amused, and much of it is located along these corridors. Upstairs are play areas, along with a huge Royce chocolate store, and downstairs are clever, cute museum-like dioramas filled with stuffed animals. You can walk, use moving walkways, or take a six-person cart from one terminal to the other. Wi-fi is available throughout. Signs are in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Russian.
Plenty of buses and Japan Rail trains are available to get you to and from the place. JR trains arrive downstairs in the domestic terminal.
With the exception of some parts of the corridors, there are plenty of places to sit in the domestic terminal. (Since I did not fly domestic, I cannot tell you how much / what kind of seating is available on the check-in level.)
The international terminal is skimpy in comparison, thus the reason for a 4-star rating. There are a few shops at check-in and downstairs at the gates. There's a nice little food court with sushi, ramen, tempura, and the like. There's nice seating around the gates and spacious bathrooms, including fully accessible facilities. I think the international terminal may soon be expanding; if so, there will likely soon be more options.
Before you get to the gates, downstairs is the best place to sit and wait. There are bathrooms and a tiny museum that currently has an lovely exhibit about the Ainu, who are indigenous peoples of Hokkaido.
Upstairs at check-in in the international terminal there are just a few backless benches. I think perhaps this is on purpose; they may not want a lot of people to congregate there.
Many restaurants and shops revel in highlighting Hokkaido. They sell all kinds of regional specialties. Missed having soup curry? No problem, you can get it here. Hokkaido soft-serve ice cream was flying (no pun intended - maybe) out of that airport. (It's sooo good - rich and sweet.) Hokkaido corn and potatoes can be had here. You can bring back all kinds of cool, inexpensive omiyage (gifts) for your friends, most of it food-related.
What was really helpful for someone like me, who has mobility issues, is that the international check-in windows, security, immigration, baggage claim, customs, and the gates are incredibly close together. There is no endless hiking to get to where you're going. One heads-up if you need a wheelchair: They are made for tiny people. Somehow I managed to get my giant behind into them. This may change as more Westerners are beginning to visit. Staff are really are very helpful to everyone, especially those with disabilities.
