The JAL First Class Lounge in Tokyo International Airport (commonly referred to as Tokyo Haneda or HND) features a high-quality a la carte menu and a lot of room to spread out, including a “Red Suite” and “Salon” that make it one of the most spacious first class lounges I have ever visited and also give it character.
JAL First Class Lounge Tokyo Haneda Review (HND)
As a point of comparison, you might enjoy reading my review of the JAL First Class Lounge in Tokyo Narita (NRT) here.
> Read More: JAL First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita Review (NRT)
Location + Hours + Access
This lounge is located on the fourth (and fifth) floor of Tokyo Haneda Terminal 3, near gate 112. Take the escalator upstairs.
The following passengers have access to this lounge:
- oneworld international first class customers
- oneworld Emerald status members
Each can bring in one guest.
For JAL flyers, JMB Diamond and JGC Premier members have access (plus one guest) when traveling on any JAL flight, though the location of the lounge post passport control makes it nearly impossible to use for domestic flights.
The lounge is open daily 6:00 am until the last departure, but hours do vary.
Lounge Concept
Designed by Ryu Kosaka, the lounge attempts to encapsulate “the perfect balance of modern Japanese design and the traditional Japanese spirit.” Each area within the lounge is uniquely styled, creating a “room to room” concept.
There are also great views of the apron and tarmac throughout the lounge, with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Seating:
Sushi Tsurutei
Food and drink are the heart of this lounge and Sushi Tsurutei offers freshly-preapred sushi and other Japanese specialties in front of your eyes. Alcohol like sake and Laurent-Perrier champagnes are available.
The menu changes often here, with a weekly rotation of three types of sushi (think tuna belly, spear squid, simmered conger eel, flounder, or red shrimp). This folks, is about the only place I will try to cultivate my taste buds to better appreciate and enjoy Japanese food. I certainly tried here:
Sadly, I just didn’t enjoy it…but I do not doubt the quality and give me a little credit for trying.
JAL’s Table
JAL’s Table is the other restaurant with food available via QR code at your table or by ordering at the counter.
While both Japanese food and Western food are available, I enjoyed an exquisite piece of sea bream (red sea bream Poiret Vinbranc sauce), which was beautifully presented and the highlight of my entire visit:
I also tried a salad and a vegan burger…not bad at all.
A limited selection of self-serve canapés and full selection of drinks is also available:
Red Suite
My favorite section of the JAL First Class Lounge in HND is the Red Suite. This section of the lounge is very different than the other areas and features dark wood accents and feels like a country manor in England. Within Red Suite are four sections: The Library, the Gallery, the Retreat, and the Bar.
The Library features a bit of nostalgia; some JAL history from the last century behind glass.
The Retreat is dedicated to gaming and includes chessboards and a foosball table.
Red Suite is really a lounge within a lounge.
JAL’s Salon
Located on the fifth floor and only open from 6:00 am to 11:00 am and from 7:00 pm to 1:30 pm, the Salon focuses on Japanese artisanal beverages (craft beer, premium whiskey, gin, Japanese tea, and more). This is a large space with plenty of seating. I happened to be there just as it opened at 7:00 pm and was the only one up there.
Beverage selections:
Both massage chairs and a quiet room (with couches and chairs, not full beds) are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
I missed it, but there is also made-to-order barista coffee service up here, with specialty beans from MI CAFETO.
I quite liked that cell phone use was prohibited in the Salon.
If you are working, you will need a power adapter if you have European, British, or Australian plugs.
Restrooms + Showers
Restrooms are available throughout the lounge and showers are on the fourth floor. You can request a shower using the same QR code you use to order food.
Shower suite:
Restrooms on fourth floor:
In Salon:
Luggage Storage
Luggage storage facilities are available on both the fourth and fifth floors. Simply choose a four-digit code, turn the knob, and your locker is secure. Enter the same four-digit code to open it.
Phone Rooms
Near the entrance are a trio of phone rooms that provide a designated space to make phone calls without disturbing other guests.
Smoking
Smoking facilities are available on both floors of the lounge.
Printing
Near the Red Suite is a small business center from which you can complete remote printing.
Service
Perhpas the downside to such a large lounge is that the service is simply not personalized. Yes, you are very warmly greeted upon entrance and the ladies with earpieces patrolling the lounge are always willing to help when approached. But don’t expect much in terms of proactive service and also do not expect things like escorts to the gate, let alone golf carts or vehicles. That is not the business model here (and is not for rival ANA either).
CONCLUSION
Even though this is not one of my favorite first class lounges in the world, it is a very good one, with plenty of space to spread out in luxury accommodations, delicious food, and a wide selection of beverages. I’ll review the Sakura Lounge next, which is also nice, but this is a far better lounge and highly recommended if you can choose between the two.
This looks lovely. It seems nicer than the one in Narita, though there are some obvious similarities. I’d definitely like to check it out.
It looks like an interesting concept. Thanks for the extensive review.
It does look a bit tired though. Kind of like JAL first class itself (I know it’s getting a refurb). I find Ana to be similar. The lounges and the planes are all a bit out of date. Perhaps because it used to feel so polished and roomy back in 2016. Have flown Ana and jal a few times recently and i just feel that the whole experience just isn’t a top notch product anymore.
But ANA did refresh it’s onboard first and business class seats a few years ago…surely they can’t be that tired and outdated already?
I can’t believe you didn’t mention or take a video of the machines that pour a perfect pint of draft beer.
I don’t drink beer, but they are pictured above.
I was there in October. I found the food service horribly slow, and because you order on a website and it takes so long it leaves you confused as to whether you even ordered. The sushi room was closed, which was a huge disappointment. The space is…nice? To me the whole thing felt like a solid business class lounge, but definitely not first class.
The sushi room was closed during my visit too (hence no picture), but the full menu was available for order.
While your comprehensive review included many photos/descriptions of this particular JAL Lounge @ HND, I can hardly believe that you are not a fan of Japanese cuisine…and could thusly not render any judgement on the sushi and other ryōri you ate during your visit. At least I’ll know that you favor Western and Eurocentric cuisines and will avoid your articles on ANY Asian or SE Asian airline lounges. But your candor/admission is at least honest.
LOL. Because these lounges are ONLY about the Asian cuisine? What a foolish comment. JAL has better Western food than almost any Western carrier. So does Singpaore Airlines.
Matthew, truth be told as a Japanese food lover, not all of it is easy for the Western palate, so I do not blame you for not enjoying it.
I have always been surprised that neither ANA nor JAL offer more simple sushi like salmon, tuna, yellofin, etc.. along with the stuff they offered you.
They very much cater to the Japanese palate, which is fair as they both Japanese airlines, but they also host foreign travelers and as such I would think that they would throw them a bone.
I guess the Western offerings are designed for that, but it has always been a glaring omission in my mind.
I mean, you are talking food with someone who will only explore the local cuisine at an airline lounge…
And while I do agree that some Japanese dishes can be a bit much for some, there are some easier dishes to try. Like the Japanese curry…yum.
Good info about the designer and style. You never want that walk to end down the hallway entrance with the red glass.
Maybe closing the lid does not prevent the spread, but bacteria and virus do exist in stool and can spread via flushing
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/closing-toilet-lid-flushing-doesnt-keep-viral-spray-inside-study-suggests
Hi,
Excellent report and photos. Thanks. I was in the lounge in January before flying back to London and enjoyed it very much. The Red suite had the John Lobb shoeshine service ( did not need to use them) and loved the hats acting as lampshades in the games room and the framed airline route maps. The Japanese sushi area was open so tried it ( still ordering off the QR code). The Salon upstairs was also open so tried it (virtually empty) and had the handroasted coffee in the specially designed cup and saucer ( very good). The JAL flight to London left from gate 112 so minimal walking from the lounge. I also liked the cathay pacific lounge ( J/F lounge ) which was very quiet outwith Cathay flight times ( but it closes at 1700 or 5p,)
Thanks for the coffee insight. I hope to try it again next time.