Sapporo's airport is getting a Plaza Premium lounge with soup curry and soft serve
Plaza Premium will open an 814-square-meter lounge for more than 170 guests in New Chitose's international departures area later this year. Access rules are still to come.
Plaza Premium Group will open a lounge at New Chitose Airport, the main gateway to Sapporo and Hokkaido, later this year. The lounge will sit in the international departures area and hold more than 170 guests, The Moodie Davitt Report said on November 13.
The timing is aimed at ski season. Hokkaido's winter draws visitors from across Asia and beyond, and the airport is preparing for new direct flights to North America.
The lounge at a glance#
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| Location | Airside, fourth floor, International Departures, near Gate 66 |
| Size | 814 square meters (about 8,760 square feet) |
| Capacity | More than 170 guests |
| Opening | "Later this year"; no date given |
| Hours and price | Not announced |
The square-foot figure is our conversion of the size Plaza Premium gave.
Food is the headline feature#
Plaza Premium is leaning on local dishes. The hot buffet will include two Hokkaido staples:
- Soup curry. A thin, spiced curry broth served with vegetables and meat. It comes from Sapporo.
- Soft serve ice cream. Hokkaido produces much of Japan's milk, and its soft serve is a regional draw in its own right.
The lounge will also have free Wi-Fi and what the operator calls ergonomic seating.
What it will look like#
The design uses Japanese themes. The entrance has floral artwork and low lighting. The reception desk sits in front of a cherry blossom mural on dark stone. Inside, the lounge has timber finishes, lit shelving and a central counter.
Who can get in#
This is the open question. Plaza Premium says final services and access arrangements will be confirmed before opening.
At its other lounges, the group usually offers three ways in:
- Paying at the door or booking ahead on its website.
- Lounge programs and credit cards that include Plaza Premium lounges.
- Airline invitations, where a carrier contracts the lounge for its premium passengers.
None of these is confirmed for New Chitose. Do not assume a card or membership that works at another Plaza Premium lounge will work here until the lounge is listed in that program's app.
Why it matters for travelers#
New Chitose's international terminal has had few lounge choices compared with Tokyo or Osaka. A pay-per-use lounge changes that for travelers who do not have airline status.
It matters most in winter. Snow regularly delays flights at New Chitose, and a delay of several hours is easier in a lounge with hot food than at a gate.
The lounge is in international departures only. If you are flying a domestic leg, for example Sapporo to Tokyo before a long-haul flight, you will not be able to use it.
What the companies said#
Song Hoi See, Plaza Premium Group's founder and chief executive, called Japan a key market for the company and pointed to its more than 40 million foreign visitors a year. He described Hokkaido as a leading destination for visitors from around the world.
Masaki Yamazaki, president of airport operator Hokkaido Airports Co., welcomed the group as a new partner. He said the lounge is an important step in making New Chitose an airport that people choose to fly through.
The lounge will be Plaza Premium's second in Japan. Its first is at Chubu Centrair International Airport near Nagoya.
What to do now#
If you are flying out of Sapporo this winter, check Plaza Premium's website for an opening date before you travel. We will update this story when the group publishes hours, prices and the programs it accepts.
Cite this article
Lounge Frog Staff. “Sapporo's airport is getting a Plaza Premium lounge with soup curry and soft serve.” Lounge Frog. Published 2026-11-13. https://www.loungefrog.com/news/new-chitose-plaza-premium-lounge-hokkaido-170-guests-2026
Wikipedia citation
{{cite news |title=Sapporo's airport is getting a Plaza Premium lounge with soup curry and soft serve |url=https://www.loungefrog.com/news/new-chitose-plaza-premium-lounge-hokkaido-170-guests-2026 |work=Lounge Frog |author=Lounge Frog Staff |date=2026-11-13 |language=en}}CSL-JSON for reference managers
{
"id": "https://www.loungefrog.com/news/new-chitose-plaza-premium-lounge-hokkaido-170-guests-2026",
"type": "article-newspaper",
"title": "Sapporo's airport is getting a Plaza Premium lounge with soup curry and soft serve",
"URL": "https://www.loungefrog.com/news/new-chitose-plaza-premium-lounge-hokkaido-170-guests-2026",
"container-title": "Lounge Frog",
"language": "en",
"author": [
{
"literal": "Lounge Frog Staff"
}
],
"issued": {
"date-parts": [
[
2026,
11,
13
]
]
}
}Citations identify this article and its publication date. Assess the reporting and its linked sources before using it as evidence.
Read this article as Markdown or JSON. Cite the original page and retain its sources, dates and qualifications.
Embed this article summary
Paste this HTML into your page. The summary stays linked to the full story and updates with it. No account required.
<iframe src="https://www.loungefrog.com/embed/news/new-chitose-plaza-premium-lounge-hokkaido-170-guests-2026?theme=auto" title="Sapporo's airport is getting a Plaza Premium lounge with soup curry and soft serve by Lounge Frog" width="100%" height="440" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe> <p style="font-size:14px">Sapporo's airport is getting a Plaza Premium lounge with soup curry and soft serve by <a href="https://www.loungefrog.com/news/new-chitose-plaza-premium-lounge-hokkaido-170-guests-2026" rel="nofollow">Lounge Frog</a></p> <script async src="https://www.loungefrog.com/embed.js"></script>
