Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Tokyo to Taipei. Left side wins at both ends of this flight. During the southbound cruise over the East China Sea, the left side also faces the Chinese coastline in the far distance on clear days, while the right side sees open ocean. The left seat gives you the better urban and geographic show at both Narita departure and Songshan arrival.

During takeoff from New Tokyo International (NRT), sit on the Left side for the best views. NRT typically departs on runways 16R/16L heading south, or 34L/34R heading north. On the common southward departure (runway 16), a left-side seat gives you views back over the Chiba Peninsula and Tokyo Bay as the aircraft turns southwest. You can track the urban sprawl of Greater Tokyo and the bay's distinctive shape before heading out over the Pacific. Notable sights include: Tokyo Bay (broad inlet clearly visible to the west), Chiba urban corridor below during climb-out, the Boso Peninsula coastline curving southward, and the distant smudge of the Kanto Plain urban mass stretching toward Mount Fuji on clear days.

When landing at Sungshan (TSA), sit on the Left side for the best views. TSA (Songshan Airport) sits in the northeastern part of Taipei city and typically uses runway 10 for arrivals from the east, meaning the aircraft approaches from over the eastern mountains and descends over the city. A left-side seat on approach gives you the Taipei Basin laid out below, with the city grid, Keelung River, and Taipei 101 clearly visible on the left side as you descend. Notable sights include: Taipei 101 skyscraper (unmistakable in the city center), Keelung River curving through the urban grid, Taipei Basin surrounded by the Tatun volcanic group to the north and Central Mountain foothills to the east, Danshui River confluence to the west.

The flight from New Tokyo International (NRT) to Sungshan (TSA) takes Approximately 3 hours 10 minutes.

The flight tracks southwest over the East China Sea, passing east of the Ryukyu Islands chain (Okinawa and surrounding islands may be faintly visible on the right side at cruise altitude on clear days). The route crosses open ocean for most of the cruise phase with no significant landmasses directly below. The Kuroshio Current flows beneath but is not visually distinguishable from altitude. As the aircraft descends toward Taiwan, the northern tip of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range becomes visible, with peaks exceeding 10,000 feet appearing as a rugged spine running down the island's center.