Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Tokyo to Los Angeles. Right side wins both departure and arrival. At takeoff you get Tokyo Bay and a potential Fuji sighting; on arrival you get the full Santa Monica Bay coastline and LA basin panorama. The left side offers little of note at either end.

During takeoff from Tokyo International (HND), sit on the Right side for the best views. HND primarily uses runways 34L/34R for northbound departures or 05 for eastbound, but transpacific flights typically depart heading northeast over Tokyo Bay then curve north. A right-side seat gives you Tokyo Bay, the city grid of central Tokyo, and on clear days Mount Fuji to the southwest as the aircraft banks. Left side faces inland toward Kawasaki industrial zones. Notable sights include: Tokyo Bay, central Tokyo skyline and Rainbow Bridge, Mount Fuji (southwest, visible during bank), Yokohama port and bay receding behind.

When landing at Los Angeles International (LAX), sit on the Right side for the best views. LAX arrivals from the west typically use runways 24L/24R, approaching from over the Pacific heading east. A right-side seat on this approach gives you the Santa Monica Bay coastline, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the Los Angeles basin spreading inland. Left side faces south toward the less scenic South Bay and Palos Verdes. Notable sights include: Santa Monica Bay and coastline, Santa Monica Mountains and Malibu coast, Los Angeles basin urban grid, Hollywood Hills and downtown LA skyline in the distance.

The flight from Tokyo International (HND) to Los Angeles International (LAX) takes Approximately 10 to 11 hours westbound, 9 to 10 hours eastbound (HND to LAX is eastbound, so roughly 9.5 hours).

The great circle route arcs northeast over the North Pacific, passing south of the Aleutian Islands chain (Alaska), crossing the Gulf of Alaska, then descending along the Pacific coast. Midpoint features include the vast featureless North Pacific Ocean, occasional Aleutian island peaks visible on clear days if routing passes close, the Alaska coastline and its glaciated mountain ranges as the flight descends toward the US, and the Pacific Coast Ranges of Oregon and Northern California visible in the final hours before Los Angeles.