After my JAL First Class flight to Tokyo Narita I had about 4 hours until my flight to Hanoi. I was on my way to Hanoi as I needed to get there to start my Cathay Pacific First Class trip home.
Thankfully, transiting at Tokyo’s Narita airport is quite easy. After exiting the aircraft I made my way toward the transit desks. From there, I quickly passed through security and before long was upstairs in the main terminal building.
Since clearing security was so fast I ended up with about 4 hours remaining until my next flight to Hanoi. Since I had some time to spare I decided to do a bit of lounge hopping to stay awake between flights. The first lounge on my list was the Japan Airlines First Class Lounge in Tokyo Narita’s main building. This is one of Japan Airlines’ premium lounges that I’ve been wanting to visit for the past few years.
So, after clearing security I went upstairs from the transit area and proceeded toward the terminal entrance to find the Japan Airlines First Class lounge.
Japan Airlines First Class Lounge / Sakura Lounge Entrance
The main entrance to the lounge is located just beyond the customs desks before entering the terminal if originating travel in Tokyo.
Unless you’re looking for the lounge it’s easy to miss thanks to the the rather nondescript frosted glass doors which separates the lounge from the rest of the terminal.
As you enter the lounge there is a long reception counter which serves as the check-in desk for both the First Class and Business Class lounges. To visit the First Class portion of the lounge you’ll turn left and pass down a long narrow hall.
As you reach the end of the above hallway you’ll find yourself at one end of the rather large lounge.
Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Seating Areas
At first glance the lounge reminded me of the British Airways First Class Lounge in London. What I mean by that is that the entire lounge is essentially a single large room with large leather chairs. The room is then further divided in to smaller sitting areas by large glass walls.
The glass walls help reduce the noise within the lounge so that sound doesn’t travel from one area of the lounge to another.
Overall the seating found throughout the lounge could be described as dense. Everywhere you look there are large leather chairs closely packed next to one another. Clearly, the lounge is setup in a way that anticipates heavy use throughout the day.
That theory was especially evident when I noticed even more large armchairs lined up along the main walkway of the lounge which connects the entrance of the lounge to the dining area at the back.
During my visit in the early evening I had no issues finding an empty seat, but I feel as though the lounge became a bit crowed toward the end of my stay.
Also, the picking a seat in the middle of a cramped seating area proved especially difficult with my carry-on in tow.
Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Bar Area
As I made my way toward the dining area of the lounge, found near the back, I first passed a generously outfitted beverage and bar area.
This area was home to a large refrigerator which housed some fresh juices as well as sparking and still water. While the outer bar was home to a few different bottles of wine and Champagne.
There were also several spirits to choose from and even a few ingredients to make a Bloody Mary.
Behind the bar area were a few snacks as well as a coffee/tea station.
There was another beverage station located in the lounge which was home to the fantastic self-pouring beer dispensers.
This satellite beverage station was also home to the same soft-drinks, juices, coffees, and teas found in the self-service bar area.
My one compliant about both areas is that there is limited surface area to actually pour a drink. Thankfully, in this lounge, the cold beer pours itself.
Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Dining Area
Toward the very back of the lounge was the formal dining area of the lounge. This area was home to several dining room tables, most of which offered fairly good views of the rest of the airport.
The entire dining area is setup in a V shape as defined by the exterior walls of the terminal.
Behind the above row of seats is the buffet area where guests can pickup various hot and cold food options.
When I visited the lounge I wasn’t all that impressed by the food offered. Typically First Class airline lounges offer much more food than expected from a traditional lounge.
Likewise, First Class lounges often have full-service dining available in certain parts of the lounge. Personally, I found the catering options of this lounge a bit lacking.
Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Sushi Bar
The only saving grace for this lounge comes from the Sushi Bar. Situated in the center of the dining area is a full service sushi bar where you can get handmade sushi. The type of sushi varies from day to day, but when I visited the lounge my options were Salmon, Flounder, and Futomaki.
All of the sushi is hand made in the by the gentlemen in the sushi bar and it was all very tasty.
In fact, it was so good that I ate one of the pieces of sashimi before I snapped a photo of the plate.
All sushi is served in sets of three, but you can mix and match as you please. Also, as far as I could tell, there was no limit to how much sushi each guest could order.
Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Shower Facilities
After enjoying a few bites of sushi, a few self-poured beers, and a cup or two of coffee I was in desperate need of a shower. Thankfully, the lounge offers showers to all guests and during my visit there wasn’t a wait for an available shower.
I first checked in with the relaxation center specialist who took down my information.
She then handed me a key card which I had to use to open the shower facility door.
When I found my shower room I swiped the key card on the reader and the door popped open.
Once instead, I found a high-tech toilet with several controls next to it.
There was an emergency button, for, well, an emergency?… a wave to flush button, and the bidet controls.
Across from the toilet was a sturdy sink complete with various amenities and a hair dryer.
There was also a small shelf area to put a suitcase or bag as well as a small stool. Overall the shower room was a bit small for my liking, but it did contain a shower which was exactly what I needed.
The shower was fine and served it purpose. The design was nice as it featured some wall jets what you could use to point directly at you, but it just didn’t work as well as I had hoped.
Even so, it’s hard to complain about any shower after spending 14 hours in a metal tube.
Final Thoughts
There were a few other areas of the lounge that I didn’t spend much time in. For example the regular restrooms were quite beautiful.
There were phone rooms for those who needed to take important calls.
There was also a business center for those who needed to get some work done.
The reason I’m glossing over the rest of this part of the lounge review is that the lounge no longer exists. Shortly after my visit Japan Airlines closed the lounge for renovations and opened a new First Class lounge upstairs. For now the shower facilities are still in use by the new lounge, but otherwise this lounge is closed and will not reopen as seen above.
That being said, it was a nice lounge and one that I was happy to have visited. The Sushi Bar is one of the more famous airline lounge amenities found in the OneWold lounge network and thankfully JAL continued that tradition with the upstairs lounge.
Overall, I was a bit more excited about visiting this lounge than I should have been. The lounge felt much more like a nice business class lounge rather than a flagship first class lounge. With that being said, I’ve had a chance to visit the new First Class lounge in Narita and it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
