OKA to HND: which side of the plane should you sit on?
Naha (OKA) to Tokyo (HND) is a 1,555 km (966 mi), roughly 2h 20m eastbound flight. Here is where the sun sits along that path, computed with the same astronomy as our live calculator.
On most daytime OKA 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 | Right | Left | Left |
| June solstice | Right | Left | Left |
| September equinox | Right | Left | Left |
| December solstice | Right | Right | Night |
What you’ll see on this flight
Left side. It gets the better views and the shade too, so it is the clear pick.
Sit on the left. The left side gets the best views and the shade on this route, so it wins twice. You start over Okinawa, then follow a long run of islands, coast, and big-city approaches into Tokyo.
Takeoff
On departure from OKA, depending on the runway in use, look left as you climb. Okinawa is almost under you, then the Ryukyu Islands slide by on that side while Naha sits off to the right.
En route
- 47m in← LeftYakushima
About 45 minutes in, Yakushima appears on the left as a compact island shape in the water.
- 52m in← LeftTanegashima
A few minutes later, Tanegashima follows on the left, another island that stays easy to spot from cruise.
- 1h 29m in← LeftShikoku
Around an hour and a half in, Shikoku stays to the left and gives you a broad island view rather than a quick pass.
- 1h 48m in← LeftOsaka
Just after that, Osaka comes into view on the left with a dense city spread below.
- 2h 10m inRight →Izu Peninsula · passes underneath
On descent, the Izu Peninsula cuts close on the right and passes nearly under you, so it is a brief look rather than a long one.
- 2h 12m in← LeftMount Fuji
A couple of minutes later, Mount Fuji is on the left, a clean volcanic shape that stands out before you drop toward Tokyo.
Landing
On arrival into HND, depending on the runway in use, keep watching the left side. Sagamihara, Saitama, Funabashi, and Tokyo line up that way as you come in, while Chiba sits to the right.
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 OKA 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 OKA to HND 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 OKA to HND?
The great-circle distance is 1,555 km (966 mi), which works out to roughly 2h 20m in the air on this eastbound 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 Naha to Tokyo Haneda?
The left side. It is the view side and the shade side on this route.
What will I see on the way to HND?
Mostly islands and Japanese cities on the left, plus Mount Fuji on descent and the Izu Peninsula briefly on the right.