Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Tokyo. While takeoff from Midway favors the right side, the landing approach into Haneda provides superior scenic value with Tokyo Bay, the Boso Peninsula, and the Kanto Plain's urban expanse. Left-side seats capture the more dramatic and geographically distinctive features of the destination.

During takeoff from Chicago Midway International (MDW), sit on the Right side for the best views. Right-side seats offer views of Lake Michigan as the aircraft climbs northeastward from Midway. You'll see the Chicago shoreline and the lake's expanse stretching toward the horizon, which is the dominant visual feature during the initial climb. Notable sights include: Lake Michigan, Chicago downtown skyline (south-southwest), Des Plaines River valley, Illinois prairie grid.

When landing at Tokyo International (HND), sit on the Left side for the best views. Left-side seats provide views of Tokyo Bay and the Kanto Plain as the aircraft descends on final approach from the northeast. You'll see the bay's distinctive shape, the Boso Peninsula, and urban sprawl of greater Tokyo spreading across the flat terrain. Notable sights include: Tokyo Bay, Boso Peninsula, Kanto Plain urban grid, Mount Fuji (distant, weather permitting).

The flight from Chicago Midway International (MDW) to Tokyo International (HND) takes Approximately 13.5 to 14.5 hours.

The flight path crosses the North Pacific, passing north of the Hawaiian Islands (typically not visible due to distance and altitude routing). Over the open ocean, you may see the Aleutian Islands chain in the far distance during the northern Pacific crossing. As the aircraft approaches Japan, the Izu Islands and Izu Peninsula become visible on the descent into Haneda. The Kuroshio Current creates visible color variations in the Pacific waters east of Japan during clear conditions.