空港

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 空港まで電車で行きます。▶ —
   I will go to the airport by train.
2. 空港でお土産を買いました。▶ —
   I bought souvenirs at the airport.

Collocations

Mnemonic

Kuukou (空港) is the Sino-Japanese "airport" — 空 (sky) + 港 (port) = "sky port," extending the harbor metaphor (港) to the sky. A Meiji- / Taishou-era coinage. Compare: hikoujou (飛行場, airfield, formal or military / small-scale), eapooto (loanword, trendy / commercial), hikoukijou (archaic). Major Japanese airports: Narita kuukou (Tokyo International 1), Haneda kuukou (Tokyo International 2, close to the city), Kansai kokusai kuukou (Osaka KIX), Chuubu kokusai kuukou / Sentorea (Nagoya). Vocabulary cluster: shukkoku (departure abroad), nyuukoku (arrival), menzeiten (duty-free shop), toujouken (boarding pass), toujou geeto (boarding gate). Korean "gong-hang / bi-haeng-jang / Incheon gong-hang / Gimpo gong-hang" parallels.

Quick check

1. Etymological metaphor of 空港?

   • Extending "harbor (港)" metaphor into the sky (空) = "sky harbor"
   • Place where sky meets land
   • Aircraft + park
   • Pure loanword