Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Tokyo to Madrid. The left side captures the dramatic Tokyo Bay departure view and also benefits from the Siberian and Central Asian overfly with occasional views of Lake Baikal and the Ural foothills on the left side of the polar routing. The landing view advantage on the right is real but shorter in duration.

During takeoff from New Tokyo International (NRT), sit on the Left side for the best views. NRT departures on runway 34L/34R head roughly northward, placing Tokyo Bay and the urban sprawl of Greater Tokyo on the left (west) side. You get a clear view of the bay's geometry and the dense city grid stretching toward the horizon. Notable sights include: Tokyo Bay, Greater Tokyo urban grid, Chiba coastal lowlands, distant Boso Peninsula shoreline.

When landing at Barajas (MAD), sit on the Right side for the best views. MAD's dominant runway 32L/32R approach comes in from the southeast, meaning the right (north) side faces the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range clearly. The jagged snow-capped ridge of the Guadarrama sits prominently to the north as you descend, while the flat Meseta Central spreads below. Notable sights include: Sierra de Guadarrama, Meseta Central plateau, Madrid urban grid, Jarama River valley.

The flight from New Tokyo International (NRT) to Barajas (MAD) takes Approximately 13 to 14 hours.

The route tracks northwest over the Sea of Japan, crosses Siberia over the Yenisei River basin and the southern edge of the West Siberian Plain, passes near the Ural Mountains, crosses Russia into Kazakhstan and then Ukraine or Belarus depending on routing, then transits Central Europe over Poland, Germany, and France before entering Spain over the Pyrenees.