Japan Airlines lounge offer at Tokyo Haneda International Airport consists of the Sakura Business Class Lounge (which will be closing for renovations from July 1st until the end of October), and the First Class Lounge (for JAL First Class passengers and One World Emerald members), both located near gate 112 in the international terminal.
I recently spent some time at this lounge before boarding a flight back to Europe. This lounge will (also) soon go through renovations, probably after they complete the work on the Sakura Business Class Lounge. This only means I will have to re-visit next year to see the changes!
The First Class Lounge operates daily from 6 AM to 2 AM. I got in during the morning rush hour, and the lounge felt a bit crowded, but once most of the morning flights took off I could go around and take some pictures of the spaces.
The entrance is one of the nicest spaces in this lounge. A long hallway with decorated plaster walls resembling a Japanese folding screen. The artwork at the end of the hallway and the wall decorations are by Hasado Shuhei, a skilled Japanese plasterer whose portfolio includes the Peninsula Hotel in Tokyo and the venue for the G8 Hokkaido Summit in 2008.
Once past the entrance you first find the lounge area, which is rather large but still felt a bit crowded at that early morning time (I got in around 9 AM). Seating options included a row revolving seats with ottomans attached overlooking the tarmac, perfect for some breakfast champagne!
There is also a small business center with more private seating, in case you need to deal with work before catching your flight.
Right next to the lounge area is the dining room. Food offerings include a self-service buffet with hot and cold dishes options, and a cooking station that operates during the breakfast and dinner services. And no, there was no shark fin soup among the offerings!
I chose the pancakes from the cooking station, some rice rolls and iced tea for my breakfast.
The drinks selection was outstanding. Laurent Perrier champagne, several sake choices and a varied list of spirits and wines are available.
The most beautiful room in the lounge is, no doubt, the Red Suite. Located at the very back of the lounge, this is an adults-only space that opens duing the morning and the evenings, offering a more relaxed space for those looking for a quiet area. The suite includes four spaces: a library room, a play room, a seating room and a champagne/sake bar. The entire space is tastefully decorated in mahogany colors and featuring Japan Airlines memorabilia. The Red Suite also features a shoe polishing service!
Conclusion
Japan Airline’s First Class Lounge at Tokyo Haneda airport is a beautiful space, well put together. I can’t wait to see what they’ll do to improve this lounge with the upcoming renovations, but it is a fantastic lounge as it is right now. I hope they include an a-la-carte dining option with the renovations, to catch up with other carriers that include such option in their first class lounges.
Agree, Freddo. I found the free massage chairs a nice way to while a way a few minutes. I also noticed one of the matrons making sure no one used their mobile phones in the dining area… a difficult task as I observed, but she prevailed. 👍
Japanese lounges, meh.