Seeing Umihotaru from a planeup to 8 ★
A rest-stop island in the middle of Tokyo Bay where the Aqua-Line switches from a 6-mile undersea tunnel to a nearly 3-mile bridge. Look for the ship-shaped island where the bridge ends.
15 of our routes pass it. Japan · rated 4 of 10
The easy pick
Tokyo to Ishigaki: sit on the right, on the climb, 3 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Fukuoka to Tokyo | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Hiroshima to Tokyo | Right | on the way down |
| Ishigaki to Tokyo | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Kagoshima to Tokyo | Right | on the way down |
| Kumamoto to Tokyo | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Matsuyama to Tokyo | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Nagasaki to Tokyo | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Naha to Tokyo | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Osaka to Tokyo | Right Best seat for the whole flight: left | on the way down |
| Sapporo to Tokyo | Right | on the way down |
| Tokyo to Matsuyama | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | on the climb, 2 min after takeoff |
| Tokyo to Ishigaki | Right | on the climb, 3 min after takeoff |
| Tokyo to Osaka | Right | on the climb, 3 min after takeoff |
| Tokyo to Kagoshima | Right | on the climb, 3 min after takeoff |
| Tokyo to Naha | Right | on the climb, 3 min after takeoff |
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 Umihotaru from?
It depends on the direction: the right on most of our routes (14 of 15). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Umihotaru 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.
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
Yokohama Bay Bridge Yokohama Tokyo Tower Tokyo Imperial Palace Tokyo Skytree Fukuoka (FUK) Tokyo (HND) All routes