Back to Japan: Flying ANA from LAX to Haneda

We went to Japan earlier this summer and loved it enough that we booked a return trip — this time right after Thanksgiving, flying directly into Tokyo. Different season, different entry point, and a completely different experience getting there.

We flew ANA out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), gate 130, headed to Haneda.

The Empty Flight

Right at the gate I asked if the flight was full. It wasn’t — pretty far from it. We tried to get an upgrade since we were booked on points, but ANA said the points fare class doesn’t qualify for upgrades, even paid ones. That stings a little, but honestly it worked out.

Once we got on the plane, we just found a row of three open seats and spread out. Nobody to bother. Eleven hours flat on your back in economy is a completely different experience than eleven hours upright. It’s not business class, but it’s something.

The flight itself was fine. One meal service — I went with the seafood option. Not complaining. Eleven hours, one meal, laid flat across a row: net positive.

Arriving at Haneda

We landed at Tokyo Haneda International Airport around 5am local time. Immigration was surprisingly easy. You fill out some forms, get a QR code, scan it, done. Way less stressful than what you deal with coming back into the US.

My Google Fi kicked on automatically as soon as we landed — no setup, no SIM swap. The rest of the family needed pocket Wi-Fi hotspots, which you can rent at the airport after you clear customs. If you travel internationally even a couple of times a year, Google Fi pays for itself on the data alone.

We arrived an hour early and our pickup wasn’t showing up for another hour and a half. So we had some time to kill.

Vending Machine Life

If you haven’t been to Japan, the vending machines are a legitimate cultural experience. They’re everywhere — inside the terminal, along the corridors, outside near the pickup area. Milk tea lattes at 5am after an 11-hour flight? Yes. Done.

A few practical notes for first-timers at Haneda Airport:

• Bring a coin purse. Japan uses coins a lot and you’ll accumulate them fast. Don’t skip this.
• The vending machines have USB charging. Some machines have USB-A and USB-C ports (up to 18W, Power Delivery compatible). Charge your phone while you wait for your ride.

Haneda vs LAX

Waiting for pickup in Terminal 3, the contrast with LAX is immediate. Clean, organized, quiet — and this is at 5am. It’s not that it’s less busy, it’s that everything just works better. The pickup/drop-off flow, the signage, the general calm. Hopefully LAX catches up someday.

Also: the car spotting starts immediately. Toyota SUVs, JDM vehicles you’ve never seen before. That part never gets old.

Next up: checking into Hotel Indigo in Shibuya and hitting up Don Quijote.