Microsoft Flight Simulator is heading east in a big way. World Update 20: Japan is out now, free for all players, and it’s one of the sim’s biggest updates yet. From Mount Fuji’s snowy peak to the neon sprawl of Tokyo, Japan has been brought to life in stunning, high-resolution detail.
Japan Reimagined in Flight Simulator
Working with Bing Maps, Gaya, and Asobo, the dev team has re-sculpted Japan’s cities and landmarks with updated photogrammetry and advanced terrain rendering. That means new detail across:
- Tokyo (16 areas of interest)
- Osaka (3 AOIs)
- Sapporo (2 AOIs)
- Kyoto (1 AOI)
- Hiroshima (1 AOI)
In total, that’s 23 areas of interest and 67 handcrafted points of interest-from Osaka Castle and Akinada Bridge to Shosanbetsu Observatory, Enoshima Sea Candle, and Fukuoka Tower.
Five New Handcrafted Airports
World Update 20 also adds five highly detailed airports across Japan:
- Hokkaido Spaceport (JP-0052) – Taiki’s aerospace hub
- Kitakyushu Airport (RJFR) – a 24-hour airport built on an artificial island
- Rishiri Airport (RJER) – volcanic island runway
- Sado Airport (RJSD) – island hub in Niigata Prefecture
- Satsuma Iōjima Airport (RJX7) – a private island airstrip
Missions Across the Skies of Japan
The update isn’t just scenery-it’s packed with new ways to fly:
- 3 Discovery Flights – Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Kyoto, Sapporo
- 3 Landing Challenges – Ōmura, Rishiri, Sado
- 1 Bush Trip – Mount Fuji to Mount Yōtei
- 1 Spotlight Event – Tokyo Bay’s Makuhari Messe
Flight Simulator 2024 players get even more with a low-altitude challenge over Tsushima Island and a rally race challenge at Setonaikai National Park.
How to Play
World Update 20: Japan is free for all Microsoft Flight Simulator players. Just update your sim (to version 1.39.9.0 for MSFS 2020 or 1.5.27.0 for MSFS 2024 as of September 25, 2025), download the update, and take off across Japan.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Steam, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, and included with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.