Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Tokyo to Newark. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. Tokyo Bay and Mount Fuji on departure, and the Manhattan skyline on approach to Newark, are both on the left. During the transpacific cruise at 35,000 feet there is little to differentiate sides over open ocean, so the bookend views at departure and arrival make left the clear overall choice.

During takeoff from Tokyo International (HND), sit on the Left side for the best views. HND typically departs northward on Runway 34L/34R or eastward on Runway 05, then turns northeast over Tokyo Bay. A left window seat gives you the Tokyo skyline, including Shinjuku skyscrapers and the distinctive Tokyo Tower, as the aircraft climbs out over the bay. You also get a clear view back toward Mount Fuji once the aircraft banks northeast. Notable sights include: Tokyo Bay, Mount Fuji (to the southwest on climb-out), Shinjuku CBD skyline, Yokohama waterfront.

When landing at Newark Liberty International (EWR), sit on the Left side for the best views. EWR approaches typically come in from the northeast or east on Runway 22L/22R, heading southwest over New Jersey. A left seat gives you the full Manhattan skyline across the Hudson River — one of the most iconic urban aerial views in the world — as the aircraft descends over Newark Bay. The right side faces inland New Jersey with far less visual interest. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline (Empire State Building, One World Trade Center), Hudson River, Newark Bay, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

The flight from Tokyo International (HND) to Newark Liberty International (EWR) takes Approximately 13 to 14 hours westbound, 14 to 15 hours eastbound (HND to EWR flies the North Pacific great circle route).

The route tracks northeast from Tokyo across the North Pacific, passing south of the Aleutian Islands chain (faintly visible on clear days as dark volcanic peaks above the cloud layer), then crosses the Gulf of Alaska and the Canadian Rockies over British Columbia and Alberta — where jagged snow-covered peaks are visible on clear days — before crossing the Great Lakes region and descending over Pennsylvania toward New Jersey