Japan is a nation of beauty and intrigue, filled with breathtaking vistas of towering mountains, iconic architecture, and renowned cities. The country beholds some of the world’s most alluring and famous sights, including Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, Osaka Castle, a revered historical monument, and soaring skylines throughout Tokyo, Kyoto, Sapporo, and other metropolises. World Update 20 reveals Japan in stunning, vibrant detail—and the release comes with a great selection of missions throughout this storied country to immerse Microsoft Flight Simulator aviators in its beauty and history.
Microsoft partnered with Bing Maps, Gaya, and Asobo to build World Update 20, one of the largest Flight Simulator world updates to date. The release includes 23 areas of interest recreated in vivid detail using updated photogrammetry and TIN (triangulated irregular network) surface texturing. Regions where new photogrammetry cities have been added include Hiroshima (1 AOI), Kyoto (1 AOI), Osaka (3 AOIs), Sapporo (2 AOIs), and Tokyo (16 AOIs).
The update also comprises 67 points of interest, including: Osaka Castle, one of the most important historical locations in Japan; Akinada Bridge, a beautiful suspension bridge that spans the Seto Inland Sea; Shosanbetsu Observatory, an important astronomical observatory; Enoshima Sea Candle, a distinctive lighthouse and observation tower; and Fukuoka Tower, the tallest seaside tower in Japan.
The update comes with five highly detailed, handcrafted airports from Microsoft’s long-term partner Gaya:
Hokkaido Spaceport (JP-0052): Also known as Taiki Multi-Purpose Aerospace Park, this facility is located outside of Taiki Town on the island of Hokkaido and comprises a single asphalt runway.
Kitakyushu Airport (RJFR): Built on an artificial island outside of Kitakyushu on the Seto Island Sea, this airport comprises a single asphalt / concrete runway and is one of six in Japan that operates 24 hours per day.
Rishiri Airport (RJER): located near the town of Rishiri on the volcanic island of Rishiri, the airport has a single asphalt runway.
Sado Airport (RJSD): Located in the city of Sado, on the island of Sado, the facility has a single asphalt runway.
Satsuma Iōjima Airport (RJX7): A private airfield in the village of Mishima, on the island of Iōjima, which comprises a single asphalt runway.
World Update 20 features immersive missions for both Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 that wonderfully showcase the areas highlighted in this release: three discovery flights, three landing challenges, one bush trip, and one spotlight event.
The discovery flights include: Chubu-Sangaku National Park, a renowned region of towering peaks and lush forests on the island of Honshū; Kyoto, one of the oldest cities in Japan; and Sapporo, the largest city on the island of Hokkaido.
Test your piloting skills at Ōmura Airport (RJFU) in a strong wind challenge; Rishiri Airport (RJER) in a famous challenge; and at Sado Airport (RJSD) in a famous challenge.
Visit Japan’s most famous mountains in the Mount Fuji to Mount Yōtei bush trip.
Take a discovery flight around the Makuhari Messe complex at the edge of Tokyo Bay in the spotlight event.
Additionally, World Update 20: Japan for Flight Simulator 2024 includes a low altitude challenge at Tsushima Island and a rally race challenge at Setonaikai National Park.
World Update 20: Japan is FREE to all owners of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Ensure that your simulator is updated to the latest version (1.39.9.0 for MSFS 2020 / 1.5.27.0 for MSFS 2024 / 1.5.27.0 for MSFS2024 on Windows PC – Steam as of 09/25/2025), download World Update 20, and take to the skies throughout Japan!
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available for Xbox Series X|S and PC with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Windows, and Steam, and on Xbox One and supported mobile phones, tablets, and lower-spec PCs via Xbox Cloud Gaming. For the latest information on Microsoft Flight Simulator, stay tuned to @MSFSOfficial on Twitter.