Photo/Illutration The YS-11, Japan's first domestically produced post-war airliner, and other aircraft are on display at the Aichi Museum of Flight in Toyoyama, Aichi Prefecture. (Masahiro Iwao)

TOYOYAMA, Aichi Prefecture--For couples who want to elevate their wedding or musicians seeking to have their music lift off, the Aichi Museum of Flight is now available for rent to private parties.

The prefectural government revised an ordinance in December allowing the facility to be rented out to reverse the declining number of visitors.

Prefectural officials made the decision after seeing the venue successfully used in October 2019 when a vintage World War II British Spitfire landed at the Nagoya Airport for a special exhibition at the museum.

A watchmaker, which sponsored the event, hosted a well-received party for its clients with the Spitfire put on display.

The aviation museum opened in November 2017 on the premises of the prefecture-run Nagoya Airport. It boasts a wide variety of aircraft, including the YS-11, Japan's first domestically produced post-war turboprop airliner and the EH-101, a large helicopter used by the Metropolitan Police Department for rescue and other operations.

A full-size mockup of a Zero fighter, which was used in the filming of "The Eternal Zero," is also on display.

Other exhibits include finely detailed 1/25 scale models of 100 historical aircraft, while visitors can try out flight simulators.

Although the museum attracted about 400,000 visitors for the year ending in March 2019, it was hit by a slowdown in the number of visitors the following year, drawing in 190,000 people by the end of November. It will be difficult for the prefectural government to meet the goal of attracting 350,000 visitors by the end of March this year.

In recent years, historical buildings, museums and other locations are referred to as "unique venues" available for conferences and events to provide a special atmosphere and local characteristics. These venues have attracted attention as sightseeing resources notably different from other places.

In the Tokai region, the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, the SCMaglev and Railway Park in Nagoya, the Toba Sea-Folk Museum in Mie Prefecture and other facilities are listed as unique venues on the website of the Japan National Tourism Organization.

Prefectural officials said they are planning to add the aviation museum on the list.

"We hope that the museum will be used with various methods of staging, making use of what the museum can offer," an official said.

The museum is available for private use for three hours after its closing time of 5:30 p.m. A usage fee of about 400,000 yen ($3,600) and an admission fee (800 yen for adults) for each member of the group are required.

The venue is also available for three hours between 9:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. with the same usage fee on Tuesdays when the museum is closed, and for the entire day between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on other weekdays for a fee of about 500,000 yen.

For inquiries, visit the official website at (https://aichi-mof.com/).