The Birth of the Jimbee Jet – Japan Transocean Air (JTA)

The Story Begins with One Person's Apiration

The story of the Jimbee Jet began with the vision of a single JTA flight crew member. While visiting the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium with his family, he noticed many other families captivated by the gentle swimming of the whale shark.

He thought, "Wouldn't it be amazing if the whale shark could fly through the sky? I'm sure the children would be thrilled to see that."

This idea sparked the Jimbee Jet project.

Overcoming Difficult Challenges

First, he approached the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Undaunted by the fact that his primary role was as a flight crew member and planning or sales activities were outside his domain, he made his proposal and was able to receive a positive response from the aquarium staff.

From there, the sales team took the lead in bringing the dream to fruition. While the flight crew member's vision was well-received by the team, the specifics of the design, paint material, and painting techniques were uncharted territory to them. To realize the project, the team would have candid discussions with the flight crew member who had come up with the idea, at times even breaking into heated arguments, as the reality diverged greatly from his initial vision.

Despite the challenges, the project gained momentum as various ideas and support came from within and outside the company.

In December 2012, the Jimbee Jet featuring the aquarium's whale shark "Jinta" took to the skies.

Expanding Connections

For the Jimbee Jet's inauguration ceremony and sightseeing flight, students from several elementary schools in Motobu Town, where the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is located, were invited to enjoy the inaugural flight over their hometown.

Later, the participating school children sent heartwarming messages of gratitude, leading to a visit by JTA representatives in return.

On the way back from Motobu, the representatives of JTA encountered the vibrant pink Kanhi cherry blossoms lining the schoolchildren's school route, inspiring the idea for the second aircraft.

Driven by the desire to support the aquarium's groundbreaking efforts to breed whale sharks, and featuring the iconic Yanbaru Kanhi cherry blossoms prominently on the nose, the "Sakura Jimbee" was launched, retaining the whale shark design but with a delicate, feminine cherry blossom-inspired color scheme.