Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Minneapolis to Tokyo. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. Over the Pacific the views are largely ocean with occasional Aleutian island glimpses, so the departure and arrival windows matter most — and left delivers the Minneapolis lakes and river on departure plus the Tokyo Bay and Fuji panorama on approach.

During takeoff from Minneapolis St Paul International (MSP), sit on the Left side for the best views. MSP primarily departs on runways 12L/12R heading southeast, or 17/35 heading south/north. On the dominant southeast departure, the left side gives you a clear view back over downtown Minneapolis, the Mississippi River gorge, and the chain of lakes in south Minneapolis. Right side faces toward the suburban sprawl of Bloomington and Eagan with little of interest. Notable sights include: Downtown Minneapolis skyline, Mississippi River gorge and Ford Bridge area, Chain of Lakes (Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun/Bde Maka Ska), Minnesota River confluence with the Mississippi.

When landing at New Tokyo International (NRT), sit on the Left side for the best views. Flights from MSP to NRT approach Tokyo from the northwest, typically landing on runways 34L/34R heading south or on 16L/16R heading southeast at Narita. On the northwest approach, the left side faces southwest toward Tokyo Bay, the urban density of central Tokyo, and on clear days Mount Fuji rising above the Kanto Plain to the southwest. Right side looks northeast over Chiba Prefecture farmland and the Pacific coast. Notable sights include: Mount Fuji (on clear days, 60+ miles southwest), Tokyo Bay, the dense urban grid of central Tokyo and the Sumida River, Chiba city coastal lowlands.

The flight from Minneapolis St Paul International (MSP) to New Tokyo International (NRT) takes Approximately 13 to 14 hours.

The great circle route from MSP to NRT arcs far north over central Canada, crossing Hudson Bay's western shore, then over the subarctic boreal forests of northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, before tracking northwest over the Yukon and Alaska Range. The route crosses the Aleutian Island chain — on clear days individual volcanic islands like Unimak and the Andreanof group are visible below — then descends south over the Kamchatka Peninsula with its snow-covered volcanic peaks, across the Kuril Islands, and finally over the Pacific toward Honshu.