Review: Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)

During my trip to Japan via Mongolia, I had the chance to check out a few lounges at Tokyo Haneda Airport Terminal 3, prior to my Japan Airlines A350 first class flight to New York. I spent the most time in the Japan Airlines First Class Lounge, which is the lounge for first class passengers and oneworld Emerald members.

I hadn’t visited this lounge in many years, and frankly it was significantly nicer than I remembered. I really like this lounge, though I’m conflicted as to whether I just really like it, or love it.

On the plus side, this lounge is massive, and contains several distinct seating and dining concepts. The food and drink selection is phenomenal, the views are great, and the lounge has lots of amenities. At the same time, the lounge can get super busy during peak hours, and lacks the exclusivity or personalized service of many of the world’s top first class lounges. It’s definitely one of the better oneworld Emerald lounges out there, though.

Let’s get into the review, and then I’m curious to hear what y’all think of this facility.

Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda location

The Japan Airlines First Lounge Haneda is located in Terminal 3, which is where all international oneworld flights depart from. The lounge is located near gate 112, just a short walk from immigration. When you clear immigration (or are in the center of the terminal), just turn left.

You’ll then see the entrance to the lounge on the left. The lounge is primarily located on level four, so you’ll need to go up one level either via the escalator or elevator.

There you’ll see the entrance to the lounge, which I find to be quite pretty, with its minimalist design.

Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda hours

The Japan Airlines First Lounge Haneda is currently open daily from 6AM until 1:50AM. This covers virtually all the oneworld airline departures from the terminal. You can expect that the schedule will be adjusted if flight schedules change, as it’s normal for airlines to tweak lounge hours.

Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda entry requirements

The Japan Airlines First Lounge Haneda is a standard oneworld Emerald and oneworld first class lounge. In line with oneworld lounge access policies:

• The lounge can be accessed by oneworld Emerald members traveling in any cabin on a oneworld flight
• The lounge can be accessed by any same day oneworld international first class passenger, not only on Japan Airlines, but also on airline partners

This lounge is absolutely massive, but can also get busy during peak hours (which would be early in the morning and late at night). I wouldn’t say it’s ever crowded, due to the size of the lounge, but at times it definitely feels more like a business class lounge in terms of the sheer number of people.

Presumably most of the passengers in the lounge are oneworld Emerald members and not first class passengers, given the relatively small Japan Airlines first class footprint.

I do find it interesting just how many oneworld Emerald members seem to pass through the airport, since I don’t find the Cathay Pacific First Lounges Hong Kong (whether The Pier or The Wing) to get this crowed.

Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda layout

Usually when I review lounges, I do one section about the seating and layout, and then one section about the food and drinks. I’m going to be approaching this review a little differently, as the Japan Airlines First Lounge Haneda is broken up into several different zones, each with its own food and beverage concept.

The lounge is spread across two levels, and features the following areas (don’t ask me about JAL’s capitalization choices with these various concepts):

• JAL’s Table is the largest part of the lounge, and it’s also the main dining area; this part of the lounge tends to get busiest, though frankly it’s also the part of the lounge that I’d most recommend skipping
• RED SUITE is a small area near JAL’s Table, and it’s probably the most elegantly designed part of the lounge
• JAL’s SALON is on the upper level, and is focused on serving Japanese artisinal beverages, from cocktails, to sake, to tea; note that this part of the lounge is only open over select hours, in the mornings and evenings
• Sushi Tsurutei is all about serving sushi, and almost feels like a restaurant; this part of the lounge is only open during peak periods, in the mornings.

A vast majority of guests in the lounge seem to go to JAL’s Table and RED SUITE, so if you’re visiting during a peak period, I’d highly recommend instead hanging out at JAL’s SALON or Sushi Tsurutei.

Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda JAL’s Table

JAL’s Table is the biggest part of the Japan Airlines First Lounge Haneda. When you enter the lounge, just turn right and walk down the beautiful hall, and you’ll find yourself there.

JAL’s Table is the primary dining area of the lounge, and it’s typically where you’ll find the most guests. I’ve gotta say, design-wise I don’t love this part of the lounge. It feels to me a bit like a (luxurious) cafeteria. with the heavy use of communal tables, plus the lack of variety in seating.

JAL’s Table has a larger counter where food is freshly prepared, and that’s complemented by a small selection of self-serve food, including things like mini sandwiches, soup, and pastries.

A majority of the food here is a la carte. Unfortunately there’s not traditional table service, but rather each table has a QR code that you have to scan to place your order, and then dishes will be brought to you. I was there over breakfast hours, and options included everything from a beef bowl, to vegetable penne, to a veggie burger, to beef curry, to eggs. You can find part of the menu below.

I decided to order the beef curry with rice as well as the granola with mixed berries and yogurt (a weird combo, I know!), and both were excellent.

In addition to the food, this part of the lounge has a large self-serve drink selection, including everything from liquor, to beer, to wine, to soda, to coffee, to tea.

While it’s technically not part of JAL’s Table, there are some additional seating areas around this section, including rows of seats facing one another, as well as some semi-private chairs in a quiet room.

This part of the lounge also has some private phone rooms, a smoking room, and lockers.

Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda RED SUITE

RED SUITE is located immediately next to JAL’s Table, and is the most elegant part of the Japan Airlines First Lounge Haneda.

This is a sanctuary that almost feels more like a cigar bar than anything else. In particular, I love how the room has a bunch of aviation memorabilia, so it’s worth a visit even if you don’t sit here. There’s also a foosball table.

While the RED SUITE doesn’t have any food, it does have a champagne and sake bar, which you can help yourself to (Joseph Perrier Brut is the champagne on offer in the lounge).

Over select hours (typically in the mornings and evenings), the RED SUITE also offers a complimentary shoe shine service, which I know many guests take advantage of.

Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda JAL’s SALON

JAL’s SALON is what I’d consider to be the bar area in the Japan Airlines First Lounge Haneda, though with a Japanese twist. This is located inside the entrance to the lounge and to the left, and then up a floor (on level five).

A vast majority of guests never visit this space (and presumably don’t even know it exists), which is great, since it means it’s typically empty. This area is only open over select hours, in the mornings and evenings.

I don’t find the design of this space to be particularly inspiring, as it mainly just consists of rows of seats in rows, as well as some communal tables.

The real reason to come here is because of the beverage selection, which is heavily focused on products from Japan. JAL’s SALON has everything from craft beer, to Japanese whiskey, gin, and other beverages. There’s also Japanese tea, and apparently a hand-drip coffee service (which I wasn’t aware of, but am now reading about on Japan Airlines’ website — I’m super bummed I missed it!).

While here, I indulged in a signature cocktail, the Kokutu Espresso Martini, which was celebrating the inauguration of Japan Airlines A350-1000 service (the flight I was on!).

This cocktail was excellent, and was presented on a tray in a cool glass.

In addition to the bar, JAL’s SALON also has a self-serve drink selection, with a coffee machine, beer machine, liquor, and more.

The fifth floor also has some massage chairs, available on a first come, first serve basis. Did you really pass through a Japanese airline lounge if you didn’t spend at least a few minutes in one of these? 😉

Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda Sushi Tsurutei

Sushi Tsurutei is probably my favorite part of the Japan Airlines First Lounge Haneda. This place almost feels like a sushi restaurant, with the catch being that it’s only open in the mornings.

This is located inside the entrance to the lounge and to the left, and much like JAL’s SALON, a vast majority of people seem to miss this. Just as an example, when I visited around 9AM, nearly every seat was taken in JAL’s Table, while two seats were taken in Sushi Tsurutei.

Sushi Tsurutei has dozens of tables, with much lighter tones than the rest of the lounge.

The highlight of this space is the sushi bar, where you can have sushi freshly prepared for you.

There’s also a small self-serve buffet, with many of the same options you’ll find in the main part of the lounge.

Much like at JAL’s Table, food has to be ordered via a smartphone using the QR code on each table, and then the food will be brought to you. Below you can find part of the menu.

I ordered one of the sushi sets, and it was excellent. I would have ordered more, but I was trying to save my appetite for the feast I’d enjoy onboard my flight to New York.

Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda bathrooms & showers

The Japan Airlines First Lounge Haneda has a couple of sets of bathrooms (one on the fourth floor, and one on the fifth floor), which I found to be spotless. The men’s room had sinks, urinals, and stalls, with the toilets having bidets.

The lounge also has several shower suites, which can be reserved through the lounge’s app (the same one through which you order food).

The shower suites are functional though perhaps not overly luxurious, and feature a sink, a toilet, and a walk-in shower, with toiletries in reusable containers.

Don’t forget to close the seat to the toilet lid, though!

Bottom line

The Japan Airlines First Lounge Haneda Airport is an excellent facility for oneworld first class and oneworld Emerald passengers. The lounge is huge and is spread across several distinct zones, with an impressive selection of food, drinks, and amenities.

I like this lounge a lot, particularly if you’re visiting over the hours where JAL’s SALON and Sushi Tsurutei are open. Those space have great sushi and cocktails, and are consistently quiet.

However, there’s no denying that this lounge doesn’t feel quite as exclusive or personalized as some other top international first class lounges in the world.

What do you make of the Japan Airlines First Lounge Tokyo Haneda Airport?