ANA - Japan

fly well | welcome to tokyo | explore farther afield

Japan

Rare is the mode of transport that generates as much excitement as the destination itself. One notable exception? All Nippon Airways (better known as ANA), which resumed service late last year between Japan and eight US cities — Seattle, San Francisco, LA, Houston, Washington D.C., Chicago, New York and Honolulu — and has already approached pre-pandemic numbers of flights. The speed of that comeback may have something to do with this: In 2019, the line debuted what quickly became some of the most talked-about business- and first-class seats in the skies. Then came the global pause, turning those new offerings into a distant dream for a whole group of enthusiasts who’d been hoping to get on board. Of course, the airline’s service as a whole is so renowned, it transforms your idea of a long-haul flight, wherever you’re sitting. As for what awaits on the other side: That, too, has been generating major excitement. Japan has so many new offerings in 2023 — to say nothing of the country’s classic draws — now really is the time to go. Read on for how best to experience the flight, your time in Tokyo and your journey beyond the capital.

Whether you view flying as the grin-and-bear-it portion of your journey, or you’re a longtime aviation aficionado, ANA will likely defy expectations. A SKYTRAX 5-Star Airline for 10 years straight, Japan’s largest carrier is the embodiment of the nation’s reputation for hospitality and attention to detail, down to the scent you inhale onboard, at check-in counters and in the lounges (specifics vary by location). Yes, there’s actually a bespoke blend — ANA Original Aroma — that imbues everything from hot towels to hand soaps with Japanese umbrella pine, Yoshino Japanese cedar and mint, among other comforting notes. Of course, the most headline-grabbing aspects of the ANA experience have been those new business- and first-class offerings: THE Room and THE Suite, respectively, available from San Francisco and on twice daily flights from New York.

Masterminded by starchitect Kengo Kuma — most recently of Tokyo Olympics National Stadium fame — and designed by the renowned industrial design firm Acumen, the spaces are accordingly beautiful in their wood-paneled understatement and incredibly well thought out. THE Room is nearly three feet wide, individually enclosed within sliding privacy panels (unless you want to share space with a travel companion), flat-bedded when you’re ready to lie down and kitted out with endless amenities and tech, not least, the 24-inch 4K entertainment monitor. Picture the same kinds of features, but supersized into hotel-room-in-the-sky proportions in THE Suite (a 43-inch 4K entertainment monitor, for one). Whichever version you choose, your meals will be exquisite thanks to ANA’s partnership with a coterie of A-List Japanese and international chefs, known collectively as THE CONNOISSEURS and decorated over the years with everything from Michelin stars to World’s Best awards.

Not that you need to be seated in either of those sections of the plane to experience the flavors, comforts and services that ANA is known for. One recent example: the new spotlight on the sourcing, nutritional value and sustainability of the dining options in Economy, where "soft kale" grown in the compost generated from in-flight meal prep now features in super-healthy salads. Another Economy standout (or lie-flat, as the case may be) is the COUCHii: an option that lets you combine three or four seats into a sleeping space on A380 flights between Honolulu and Narita. Or if you’re simply looking for a seat with impressive pitch, width and legroom, check out the Premium Economy section on any flight between the US and Tokyo, the majority of which land in Haneda — an airport that, unlike Narita, places you right in Tokyo itself.

is better than ever

in collaboration with:

BACK TO THE TOP

Though it’s a relatively new classic — celebrating a 20th anniversary of sorts this year — the New York Bar on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo achieved celebrity status all its own thanks to Sofia Coppola’s 2003 cult classic Lost in Translation. The views, cocktails and jazz are as good as ever. And if you visit the New York Grill on the same floor by June 9, you’ll find Hakata Wagyu beef — the winner of Japan’s most recent Wagyu competition — in a starring role on the seasonal menu. But there are also plenty of new hotels generating buzz: the Bulgari, the Janu and the hotels at Kabukicho Tower just to name a few.

Just a few of the other classics you’ll want to be sure to take in: Senso-ji, a beautiful Buddhist temple at the end of a buzzing shopping street; the Imperial Palace and Gardens — majestic, historic and totally worth a pre-booked tour; Harajuku, the eye-popping street fashion hot spot counterbalanced by the nearby serene Meji Shrine; Ryogoku Kokugikan, the sumo wrestling stadium of choice; the fish market zone — formerly one giant sprawl, now divided between Tsukiji and the nearby Toyosu markets, both prime spots for spectating and eating; the astonishing museums (Yayoi Kusama, National Art Center, Mori Art Museum and the Edo-Tokyo Museum to name a few); and the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, formerly royal and eternally gorgeous.

Landing at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, as you’ll do on the majority of ANA flights from the US, you’ll be more or less 30 minutes and 12 miles from the heart of town. So you can dive right into your local adventures — particularly given the likelihood that you'll arrive well-rested, and maybe even revived (the herbs and woods in the ANA Original Aroma are highly effective on that front). Also acting as a stimulant: the city’s legendary energy, a flashing Neon life force all its own. (See: Shibuya Crossing, reportedly the world’s busiest intersection, where the towering, flashing video screens make Times Square look like child’s play.)

If you want to immerse in nature, consider an onsen-themed trip to one of the nation’s many hot spring zones, from Hakone in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park (not even an hour from Tokyo by train) to Nagano Prefecture, aka the Roof of Japan — so named for the Japanese Alps that run through this national park- and hot spring-rich zone. Another beloved form of immersing in nature: hiking the nation’s most beautiful pilgrimage routes, whether the Shikoku Pilgrimage around the smallest of Japan’s major islands or the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route through the mountains of Honshu's Kii Peninsula. Just know that whatever route you take — literal or figurative — it will leave you wanting more time to explore Japan. So don’t be surprised to find yourself a fast-accruing member of the ANA Mileage Club.

Another perennially gorgeous spot is Kyoto, though fall is a particular stunner, with foliage displays that rival cherry blossom season for sheer natural beauty. No matter when you visit the city, however, getting to know some of its 1600 or so temples and shrines is a must. But if you explore only one, make it Fushimi Inari, a Shinto Shrine renowned for the thousands of orange torii (gates) that straddle the trails leading up the forested slopes of Mount Inari. Other local must-dos include a nighttime visit to Gion, aka the Geisha District; a walk through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove; a boat outing on the Hozugawa River and a day trip to Nara, home to more beautiful temples — and the celebrity deer herd of Nara Park. A bit farther from Kyoto — an hour and 40 minutes by train — lies one of the most anticipated new attractions in Japan: Nagakute City’s Ghibli Park, a larger-than-life tribute to the global phenomenon that is the Ghibli animation studio.

Between ANA’s extensive domestic destination lineup and Japan’s legendary train connectivity, making your way around the nation is supremely easy and efficient. Say you're flying from Seattle, for example: Given the midafternoon landing at Haneda, you can easily connect to dozens of domestic departures and be wherever you want by a perfectly civilized hour that same day. The possibilities are limitless, but here are a few thought starters: Want to attempt to catch any portion of the cherry blossom season this year? Get to Hokkaido, the country’s northernmost — and latest-blooming — region, where the end of April and beginning of May are traditionally peak viewing time. And though there are of course no guarantees, so far, the predictions look good for that timing in 2023. Among the best regional spots to petal-peep: Hakodate Hachimangu Shrine, Goryokaku Park, Miharashi Park, Maruyama Park, Matsumae Park Furano Asahigaoka Park, Houki Temple, Hakodate Sakuragaoka Street, Nijukken Road and Hekirichi Jinya. And though this probably goes without saying, Hokkaido is beautiful the rest of the year, too — most famously in winter, when the Sapporo Snow Festival draws visitors from around the world.

Lorem ipsum

Senso-ji

Fly well

Welcome to Tokyo

Explore farther afield

Lorem ipsum

Imperial Palace

Sumo wrestling at Ryogoku Kokugikan

Plan your trip

Why journeying to

THE Room

THE Suite

Economy class

placeholder map

The speed of that comeback may have something to do with this: In 2019, the line debuted what quickly became some of the most talked-about business- and first-class seats in the skies. Then came the global pause, turning those new offerings into a distant dream for a whole group of enthusiasts who’d been hoping to get on board. Of course, the airline’s service as a whole is so renowned, it transforms your idea of a long-haul flight, wherever you’re sitting.

As for what awaits on the other side: That, too, has been generating major excitement. Japan has so many new offerings in 2023 — to say nothing of the country’s classic draws — now really is the time to go. Read on for how best to experience the flight, your time in Tokyo and your journey beyond the capital.

New York Bar | image courtesy of Park Hyatt Tokyo

New York Grill | image courtesy of Park Hyatt Tokyo

Bulgari Hotel Tokyo | image courtesy of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts

fly well | welcome to tokyo | explore farther afield