Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Hong Kong to Tokyo. Left side wins both ends of the flight. During the cruise phase heading northeast, the left side also faces the East China Sea and eventually the Japanese archipelago's Pacific coastline as you approach Japan, while the right side looks toward open ocean for most of the flight.

During takeoff from Hong Kong International (HKG), sit on the Left side for the best views. HKG typically departs eastward on runway 07L/07R, so the left (north) side gives you a direct view over Lantau Island's mountainous interior, then across the Pearl River Delta toward the Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island's dramatic skyline. The right side faces south toward open water with little of interest. Notable sights include: Lantau Peak (Fung Wong Shan) rising to 934m, Hong Kong Island skyline with Victoria Peak, Kowloon Peninsula urban grid, Pearl River Delta waterways.

When landing at New Tokyo International (NRT), sit on the Left side for the best views. NRT typically lands on runways 16L/16R or 34L/34R depending on wind. On the common southward approach (runway 34), the left side faces east toward the Pacific coast of Chiba Prefecture and Tokyo Bay, while on the northward approach (runway 16), the left side looks west toward greater Tokyo. Either way, the left seat captures more of the Tokyo metropolitan area and coastline than the right, which faces agricultural Chiba interior. Notable sights include: Tokyo Bay and its reclaimed waterfront, the Chiba coastal plain, the urban sprawl of greater Tokyo visible to the west, Narita city below the approach path.

The flight from Hong Kong International (HKG) to New Tokyo International (NRT) takes Approximately 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours.

The flight tracks northeast over the East China Sea, passing roughly between Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands chain (Okinawa visible on clear days from the left side at cruise altitude), then crossing the Philippine Sea before reaching the Kyushu and Shikoku coastlines of Japan. The Kuroshio Current's deep blue water is visible below during the oceanic segment. As you approach Japan, the Kii Peninsula and eventually the Izu Peninsula coastlines come into view on the left side before the descent into the Kanto Plain.