Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Tokyo to Houston. The right side wins overall because the Tokyo Bay and urban Tokyo departure view is genuinely spectacular and hard to beat. The trans-Pacific crossing offers limited mid-flight scenery regardless of side, and the Houston arrival view is relatively modest on either side given the flat terrain.

During takeoff from New Tokyo International (NRT), sit on the Right side for the best views. NRT departures on runway 34R/16L head roughly northward, and right-side seats get a clear view west toward Tokyo Bay and the urban sprawl of greater Tokyo. You can pick out the bay's distinctive shape and the dense city grid stretching toward Shinjuku and beyond. Notable sights include: Tokyo Bay, Chiba coastal lowlands, greater Tokyo urban grid, Boso Peninsula coastline.

When landing at George Bush Intcntl Houston (IAH), sit on the Left side for the best views. IAH arrivals typically come in from the east or southeast on runways oriented northeast-southwest. Left-side seats get the better angle on downtown Houston's skyline as you descend over the flat Gulf Coastal Plain, with the city center visible to the south-southwest during the approach. Notable sights include: Downtown Houston skyline, Lake Houston to the northeast, Buffalo Bayou corridor, flat Gulf Coastal Plain grid of suburbs.

The flight from New Tokyo International (NRT) to George Bush Intcntl Houston (IAH) takes Approximately 12 to 13 hours.

The great circle route from NRT to IAH tracks northeast over the North Pacific, passing south of the Aleutian Islands chain, crossing the Gulf of Alaska, then cutting over the Canadian Rockies in British Columbia and Alberta before descending over the Great Plains of Texas. Passengers may glimpse the snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies on clear days, and the Aleutian Islands arc may be faintly visible as dark volcanic shapes in the North Pacific if flying close enough to the chain.