HND to CTS: which side of the plane should you sit on?
Tokyo (HND) to Sapporo (CTS) is a 820 km (509 mi), roughly 1h 28m northbound flight. Here is where the sun sits along that path, computed with the same astronomy as our live calculator.
On most daytime HND to CTS departures the sun favors the left side — sit on the right (a window on the right) for shade.
Sun side by season and departure time
| Season | Morning (8 am) | Midday (1 pm) | Evening (6 pm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | Right | Left | Night |
| June solstice | Right | Left | Left |
| September equinox | Right | Left | Night |
| December solstice | Right | Left | Night |
What you’ll see on this flight
Pick the left side if you want the best views. It also faces the sun on this route, so you may want the right side if you care more about staying out of the glare.
You want the left side for the route views. That same side also gets the sun on typical daytime departures, so the tradeoff is simple: better scenery on the left, cooler shade on the right.
Takeoff
After takeoff from HND, depending on the runway in use, the left side gets the stronger early look at Sagamihara, Saitama, and Hachiōji-shi. Chiba is off to the right, and Lake Kasumigaura comes up on the right a few minutes later.
En route
- 12m in← LeftUtsunomiya · passes underneath
About 12 minutes in, Utsunomiya sits on the left, and it is close enough that nearly overhead means a quick, steep look rather than a long one.
- 25m in← LeftMount Adatara · passes underneath
Around 25 minutes in, Mount Adatara is almost under you on the left. It is a brief top-down view, but it is one of the route’s sharper moments.
- 26m in← LeftNiigata
A minute later, Niigata stays on the left. You also get Mount Bandai nearby on that side, so the left window keeps paying off through the middle of the flight.
- 58m in← LeftShirakami-Sanchi
Near the last third of the trip, Shirakami-Sanchi comes into view on the left as a broad mountain range, with Aomori following on that same side.
- 1h 09m in← LeftTsugaru Strait
On descent, the Tsugaru Strait is also on the left. It gives you a clean water-and-land split before you reach Hokkaido.
Landing
On approach to CTS, depending on the runway in use, the left side keeps the better view. Hakodate and Sapporo are both on that side, and Mount Yōtei appears there just before landing.
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 HND to CTS?
Across typical daytime departures, the sun predominantly hits the left side of the aircraft, so the right side stays shadier. Seat letters start at the left window, so choose the highest window letter (F on narrowbodies, K on many widebodies).
Which side has the sunset views on HND to CTS flights?
For sunset views, flip the advice: on evening departures the sun sits on the left side of this route, so that is the side with the show.
How long is the flight from HND to CTS?
The great-circle distance is 820 km (509 mi), which works out to roughly 1h 28m in the air on this northbound 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 should I sit on from HND to CTS?
Sit on the left for the best views. The right side is the shade side on this route.
What will I see on this flight?
You get city views early, then mountains and straits later. Key left-side sights include Utsunomiya, Mount Adatara, Niigata, Shirakami-Sanchi, and the Tsugaru Strait.