SEA to NRT: which side of the plane should you sit on?
Seattle (SEA) to Narita (NRT) is a 7,655 km (4,757 mi), roughly 9h 30m westbound flight. Here is where the sun sits along that path, computed with the same astronomy as our live calculator.
On most daytime SEA to NRT 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 | Left | Left | Left |
| June solstice | Left | Left | Right |
| September equinox | Left | Left | Left |
| December solstice | Left | Left | Night |
What you’ll see on this flight
Views do not settle this route. The window choice comes down to shade, and the right side is the better pick.
You get a mixed-window route. Views are split, so the shade call decides it: sit on the right for the calmer side, while the left gets the sun.
Takeoff
After departure from SEA, depending on the runway in use, the left side gets the early show first: the Cascade Range and Mount Rainier sit out that way in climb. On the right, Lake Washington comes into view, and Seattle can pass very close and briefly almost under you.
En route
- 8m in← LeftOlympic National Park
About 8 minutes in, Olympic National Park appears on the left. From cruise height it reads as a broad green mass, not a single peak.
- 8m in← LeftOlympic Peninsula
At the same point, the Olympic Peninsula is also on the left. It gives you the edge of the land dropping away to the coast.
- 22m inRight →Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Around 22 minutes in, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is on the right. It is a distant coastal patch, so you see it more as a land shape than a detail shot.
- 25m inRight →Vancouver Island
About 25 minutes in, Vancouver Island stays on the right. It sits low and long in the frame, the kind of feature you notice as a broad island silhouette.
- 3h 41m inRight →Mount Shishaldin
Roughly 3 hours 40 minutes in, Mount Shishaldin is on the right. You catch a single volcano profile off to one side.
- 4h 12m in← LeftMount Cleveland
About 4 hours 10 minutes in, Mount Cleveland shifts to the left. It gives the opposite window its own volcano view later in the flight.
Landing
On descent into NRT, depending on the runway in use, the right side lines up with the Tokyo area, Tokyo Bay, Chiba, Saitama, and Lake Kasumigaura. It is the side with the more useful approach views as you come down.
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 SEA to NRT?
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 SEA to NRT flights?
For sunrise or sunset views, sit on the side the table marks as the sun side for your departure time — that is where the light is.
How long is the flight from SEA to NRT?
The great-circle distance is 7,655 km (4,757 mi), which works out to roughly 9h 30m in the air on this westbound 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 SEA to NRT?
Sit on the right for the shade side. Views are roughly even, so the shade call is the better tie-breaker.
What will I see near takeoff and landing on SEA to NRT?
After takeoff, the left side gets the Cascade Range and Mount Rainier, while the right side can get Seattle and Lake Washington. On arrival, the right side lines up with Tokyo-area views.