CTS to HND: which side of the plane should you sit on?
Sapporo (CTS) to Tokyo (HND) is a 820 km (509 mi), roughly 1h 28m southbound flight. Here is where the sun sits along that path, computed with the same astronomy as our live calculator.
On most daytime CTS to HND departures the sun favors the right side — sit on the left (an A seat) for shade.
Sun side by season and departure time
| Season | Morning (8 am) | Midday (1 pm) | Evening (6 pm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | Left | Right | Night |
| June solstice | Left | Right | Right |
| September equinox | Left | Right | Night |
| December solstice | Left | Right | Night |
What you’ll see on this flight
Right side for the scenery, left side for the shade. If you want the clearest views, pick the right. If you want less sun, pick the left.
Sit on the right for the best views on this route. That same side also catches the sun, so expect brighter windows and some glare on a daytime flight.
Takeoff
On climbout from New Chitose, depending on the runway in use, the right side can pick up Sapporo soon after departure. Mount Yōtei follows about a minute in, also on the right.
En route
- 13m inRight →Hakodate
About 13 minutes in, Hakodate sits on the right. It is a city view, not a long one, so watch for it early.
- 19m inRight →Tsugaru Strait
Around 19 minutes in, the Tsugaru Strait is off the right side. You get a clean water crossing look as you head south.
- 25m inRight →Aomori
By about 25 minutes, Aomori is on the right. It comes and goes quickly, but it is one of the clearer city looks on the route.
- 30m inRight →Shirakami-Sanchi
Near the 30-minute mark, Shirakami-Sanchi stays to the right. From cruise altitude, it reads as a broad mountain range rather than a single peak.
- 55m inRight →Yamagata · passes underneath
About 55 minutes in, Yamagata passes almost under you on the right. It is the closest thing to a near-overhead look on the flight, so keep your window down.
- 1h 03m inRight →Mount Adatara · passes underneath
On descent, Mount Adatara is almost beneath the aircraft on the right around 63 minutes. It is a brief, steep view, but one of the sharpest on the route.
Landing
On approach to Haneda, depending on the runway in use, the right side keeps most of the action. Sagamihara and Hachiōji-shi are on that side near the end, while Chiba and Lake Kasumigaura sit to the left.
Sides and timings are computed from this route’s geometry. What you actually see depends on weather, air-traffic routing, and the runway in use on the day.
Frequently asked
Which side of the plane avoids the sun from CTS to HND?
Across typical daytime departures, the sun predominantly hits the right side of the aircraft, so the left side stays shadier. Seat letters start at the left window, so choose an A seat.
Which side has the sunset views on CTS to HND flights?
For sunset views, flip the advice: on evening departures the sun sits on the right side of this route, so that is the side with the show.
How long is the flight from CTS to HND?
The great-circle distance is 820 km (509 mi), which works out to roughly 1h 28m in the air on this southbound routing. Winds and routing move the real block time around that estimate.
Does the date or departure time change the answer?
Yes — that is why the table shows both. The sun's path shifts with the season, and a morning departure can put the glare on the opposite side compared to an evening one. For a specific flight, the calculator samples the sun along the whole route for your exact date and time.
Which side of the plane has the best views from CTS to HND?
The right side. It carries the stronger view line for most of the flight, from Sapporo and Mount Yōtei through the Tōhoku side of the route.
Which side is better if I want less sun on CTS to HND?
The left side. The sun is on the right for typical daytime departures, so the left gives you more shade.