HND to JFK: which side of the plane should you sit on?
Tokyo (HND) to New York (JFK) is a 10,875 km (6,758 mi), roughly 13h 18m 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 JFK 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 | Right |
| June solstice | Left | Left | Both |
| September equinox | Both | Left | Right |
| December solstice | Right | Both | Right |
What you’ll see on this flight
Views are basically split, so they do not decide the seat. Go with the right side for shade, or the left if you want the sun.
This route does not lean to one view side. Pick for shade instead: the right side stays in the shade, while the left side gets the sun.
Takeoff
Soon after takeoff from HND, depending on the runway in use, you can catch Chiba on the right. The left side has Sagamihara, Saitama, and Hachiōji-shi very early in the climb.
En route
- 16m in← LeftMount Bandai
About 15 to 20 minutes in, Mount Bandai and Mount Adatara sit on the left. They read as sharp volcanic shapes, then Fukushima follows on the same side.
- 34m in← LeftMorioka
Around half an hour in, Morioka appears on the left. It is a city view, so expect a compact urban patch rather than a single landmark.
- 1h 19m inRight →Kunashir Island
Near the midway point, Kunashir Island comes up on the right. It is one of the clearer island views on the route, with Iturup not far after it on the same side.
- 3h 23m inRight →Klyuchevskaya Sopka
Later on, Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Kamchatka Peninsula, and Shiveluch all stay to the right. This is a long stretch of volcanic and coastal shapes on that side.
- 13h 05m in← LeftCatskill Mountains
On descent, the Catskill Mountains sit to the left about 20 minutes before landing. They give you a final mountain-ridge view before the approach tightens up.
Landing
On approach to JFK, depending on the runway in use, Long Island is on the left near the end. The right side gets Newark, Ellis Island, Liberty Island, and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in the final minutes.
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 JFK?
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 JFK 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 HND to JFK?
The great-circle distance is 10,875 km (6,758 mi), which works out to roughly 13h 18m 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 HND to JFK for the best views?
The views are split, so there is no clear winner. Choose the right side for shade, or the left side if you want the sun.
What can I see near landing into JFK?
In the last few minutes, the left side gets Long Island. The right side gets Newark, Ellis Island, Liberty Island, and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.