JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda

JAL Sakura Lounge (Haneda) review: not worth it if you hate epic views and delicious curry

ByScott Leazenby Updated on

No, the JAL Sakura Lounge at Tokyo Haneda is not the most luxurious and exclusive Japan Airlines lounge at this airport. But you probably wouldn’t know that just by looking at it. It’s really nice. 

Not only is the selection of food better than a lot of business class lounges I’ve been to recently, the views of the airport (and Tokyo Bay) from the large windows are nothing short of amazing. If you’re lucky, you might even get a glimpse of Mt Fuji as you shovel freshly prepared curry into your face.

Overall Size of Lounge:3.5 star rating
Variety of Food:3.5 star rating
Quality of Food:4 star rating
Selection of Alcohol:3.5 star rating
Quietness / Privacy:4 star rating
Overall Rating:4 star rating

Location

You’ll find the Sakura Lounge about 3/4 of the way down Terminal 3 (turn left just after clearing security). The nearest gate is 114. 

Note that the entrance probably won’t be obvious at first. You’ll have to go through a set of sliding glass doors to reach the escalator that leads to the lounge. 

Escalators leading up to the entrance of the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
You can always judge the quality of an airline lounge by how tipsy the patrons are at the exit. This guy looked sloshed AF, so I think it’s safe to say that I’m in for a pretty good time.
Scott Leazenby riding the escalator up to the entrance of the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
“But what if it was food poisoning?”
Main entrance to the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
I see no dead bodies here at the entrance thankfully. I’m going in!

How to get in

The best thing about the Sakura Lounge is that they actually let JAL premium economy passengers in. You don’t even need to be flying business class. My JAL A350-1000 premium economy ticket to Los Angeles was all that was needed for them to wave me in.

You can also access this lounge if:

  • You have JMB Diamond status
  • You have JGC Premier status
  • You have JMB Sapphire status
  • You have JAL Global Club status
  • You’re holding a ticket for JAL first class, business class, or economy class (Flex Y Fare only)
  • You’re holding a ticket on any Oneworld airline for first class or business class

Layout

This is a two story lounge. The bottom level is larger (and has much better food). The upper level is smaller, but a much quieter place to hang out.

Walkway leading into the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Just moments after being granted access, and I found myself intermingling with others attempting to find a seat that’s just right.

Right away you’ll notice that it’s a fairly compact layout, but it’s sectioned off and partitioned in a way that makes it feel larger than it actually is. The large wraparound windows amplify the feeling of being in a wide open space.

I then broke left into this seating area. No comment about the seats but I’m liking the size of those windows back there!

Unlike the open floor plan of the Haneda ANA Lounge, the main level of the Sakura Lounge is broken up into smaller rooms which surround the central food area. It feels cozy and quiet. Even at maximum capacity. 

Tables and chairs looking over Tokyo Bay in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Much like how a Florida love bug is instinctually drawn to the headlights of an oncoming car, I instinctually ended up in this seating area featuring large windows overlooking Tokyo Bay.
Sitting area in the interior of the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Cranking my head around to see what kind of people would choose a seat other than one overlooking Tokyo Bay. In their defense, these seats do seem as if they are closer to the food.
Large windows letting in a lot of natural light over looking Tokyo Bay inside the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
I continued on. This is about where the palpitations kicked in.
Corner windows overlooking Tokyo Bay from inside the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
I do not know this man. I know nothing about his life. But I can guarantee that this was the highlight of his entire day.
View of the airport and airplanes from inside the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Speaking of epic views, this lounge has got you covered if you’ve got even the teeniest bit of an airplane fetish.
“Airplanes or large bodies of water (while eating curry)? That is the question…”

In comparison, I found the high-ceiling Sakura Lounge over at Narita Airport to be a more comfortable place to hang out. The one here at Haneda Airport has low a ceiling, which makes it feel slightly more cramped. But at least it’s not as claustrophobic as the Singapore Airport Plaza Premium Lounge.

Map showing the floor plan of the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Maybe it would’ve been better if I showed you the map of the lounge first. Oh well. Better late than never I guess.
Private rooms for talking on the phone in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Private phone rooms on the right, probably one hell a good massage straight ahead and to the left.
Seats next to the windows inside of the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Cafeteria style seating in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Communal style seating (with large tables) in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda

Showers are available in this lounge. WiFi is pretty good, but it started slowing down a bit as the afternoon went on and more people arrived. 

Food and drinks

Other than the notable lack of sushi, I have no complaints about the food available during my visit. Ok, yeah, some different dessert options would have been nice, but come on. The curry was excellent, and that’s all that mattered. 

Curry station in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Did you really think that I would kick off the food and drink section with a pic of something other than the curry station? Not doing so would’ve been just plain rude IMHO.
Japanese style condiments and rice toppings in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
For those of you who prefer not to slather your rice with curry (how dare you), you’ll be happy to know that there are a lot of other Japanese style toppings as well.
Fresh hot food served in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Good news! They’ve basically got something for everyone here (except those who like sushi). There’s grilled chicken, fried chicken, roasted potatoes, fish, etc.
Secondary food bar in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
This is the slightly smaller food station located on the opposite side of the one that I just showed you. This one had no curry, so it was basically dead to me.
Self serve snack bar with pastries and cookies in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
It was more of a snack bar really. Drunkards take note of the alcohol selection in the top right corner of this pic.

So yeah. About the alcohol. The selection of beer, wine, and liquor was fairly decent. All of it was self serve, so just take whatever you want (how much you want) without being judged. 

Hot drinks (tea, coffee, hot chocolate, etc) on the left. Hooch in the middle. Soda pop and juice on the right. Keep scrolling if none of this is amusing to you so far.
Drinks and alcohol in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Drink station numero dos! This is the one located on the other side next to the curry. The selection of hootch and soda pop looks to be a bit better over here.
Freshly squeezed juice and lemonade in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Those of you (like me) who prefer getting high on sugary drinks instead will very much appreciate this huge vat of lemonade. That stuff was good.
Salad bar and fresh desserts in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
OK, back to the other side! One last pic of what the dessert selection is like (which is pretty weak if I’m being honest). Their attempt to make it look more tempting by placing healthy salad bits next to it didn’t help. Just sayin’.
Eating curry while watching airplanes from the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
I chose airplanes to go with my curry (and fried chicken) BTW.

Food quality was excellent. Nothing that I ate tasted like it was reheated leftovers. 

Scott Leazenby drinking lemonade in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
I just sat down and I’m already on lemonade number three. It wouldn’t have surprised me if they were starting to panic back in the kitchen.

Pros and cons

Japan Airlines always does a pretty good job with their lounges IMHO. None of them are flashy, but they’re all cozy and uncomfortable. This one was no exception. 

Lockers in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda
Relaxing in the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda

Pros

  • The fact that I was able to get in with just a premium economy ticket is a pretty big deal.
  • High-quality food with excellent curry (at least by white boy standards). 
  • Lots of natural light, with incredible views. 

Cons

  • No noodle bar. There’s no made to order food at all for that matter.
  • The good seats (near the windows) go fast.  
  • Not only that, the window seats are where most people congregate. Prepare to rub elbows with others as you attempt to get a glimpse of Mt Fuji.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *