A few years back, I had a quick layover at Tokyo and decided to visit the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge Tokyo Narita. I was connecting to a flight to Dallas on American, and had just enough time to get to the Sakura Lounge to grab a quick beer. You might think: why go to all that effort for a beer? Well, the answer is Japanese beer at airline lounges is unique. Read along to find out why, and at the same time get a quick look at the JAL Sakura Lounge Tokyo Narita in 2019.
Note:
Dear Reader,
Before you begin this review journey with me, I want you to know that this review is a bit dated. It is from before the COVID pandemic. I had planned on publishing this one and others slowly during and after the pandemic. However, my job at the time requested I not write them. As some of the airlines were their clients, they explicitly requested I refrain from writing anything that could imply any conflict of interest. Recently, after starting a new job, I have decided to publish this one and others. I will note wherever I can what has changed, and include a year for when the flight happened, in the interest of clarity. Please enjoy this review!
Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge Tokyo Narita Location
The JAL Sakura Lounge Tokyo Narita is located in Terminal 3. You take the stairs up to the second floor, where you will be at the main entrance for both the Sakura (Business Class) lounge and the First Class lounge. There, very friendly agents will scan your boarding pass and point you in the right direction of the eligible lounge. Although I had oneworld Emerald status, I was flying on a flight with my British Airways account number. As the First Class lounge is not that much better than the Sakura Lounge (for what I wanted), I chose to stay at the Sakura Lounge. I had about 40 minutes before boarding, and my gate was at least a 10 minute walk away.
Sitting Area & Massage Chairs
The lounge is two floors. I stayed most of my time on the first floor, but went up to the second level for my glass of beer. There are plenty of chairs and there was never an issue finding a seat. Some were cloth covered (and those showed wear) and others were newer leather chairs. Here is a current map of the layout of the lounge. At the time of my visit, the lounge format was very similar.
One of the more unique aspects of the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge is the massage chairs. There were four massage chairs with pre-set selection of settings that you could use. Each was 10 minutes long. I decided to use one during my visit, but it ended up hurting my back. A massage chair is not as nice as a real one.
Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge Tokyo Narita Food and Beverage
The main dining area is up on the second floor. There was the usual fare of warm and cold Japanese and Western options, as well as Japan Airlines’ signature curry with steamed rice. I wasn’t too hungry so I passed on the food. There were also self-serve drinks. The dining area was quite ample and felt very open thanks to the layout. I had no issue finding a table. Once I found a table, I walked over to the main event.
The Main Event: Auto-poured Beer
Japanese lounges have one awesome self-serve machine. It is a draft-pour beer machine. Japanese culture values precision, and they have perfected the art to the point where a machine can pour you an amazing draft beer. I went ahead and set a frosted glass and the machine poured me a cold Kirin Ichiban. What a treat! The beer was good, but the novelty never goes away. I have traveled through Japanese airports multiple times since, and every time I grab one of those.
Toto-lly Awesome Bathrooms in Japan
One more cool aspect about the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge Tokyo Narita, and Japan in general, is the bidets on every toilet. When I first took my wife to Japan, she was baffled at the heated seats and the technologically advanced potties. Going to the bathroom in Japan comes with a remote controlled seat, with a lot of gadgets and buttons that can leave the unexpecting Westerner surprised on the seat.
Final Thoughts
The Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge Tokyo Narita is a good flagship lounge. Narita Airport is Japan Airlines’ second largest hub, and their lounge is large enough to accommodate their busier periods. Grabbing an auto-poured beer is always a fun novelty, and Kirin Ichiban is a good beer. I have visited the lounge a few times since, and it’s always a good place to wait and pass the time.
