Seeing Tokyo from a planeup to 18 ★

The world's largest metro area, about 37 million people. Look for the green square of the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Bay's reclaimed islands, and on clear days Mount Fuji's cone to the southwest.

9 of our routes pass it. Japan · rated 9 of 10

The easy pick

Tokyo to Sapporo: sit on the left, on the climb, 1 min after takeoff.

Which side, by route

From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day. Where the best seat for the whole flight is on the other side, you'd trade this sight for more elsewhere.

Questions

Which side of the plane do you see Tokyo from?

It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (6 of 9). The table lists each route's side.

When can you see Tokyo from a plane?

Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.

Can you see Tokyo at night?

Yes, by its lights. The app scores lit places at night by how bright they are.

Do clouds matter?

Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.

More

Tokyo Imperial Palace Tokyo Tower Tokyo Skytree Yokohama Bay Bridge Yokohama Seoul (ICN) Tokyo (NRT) Tokyo (HND) Fukuoka (FUK) All routes