Updated May and June 2024
And just like that, I was back transiting through Tokyo on my way to Europe, in 2023. It had been a year since I last flew this route (and got stuck in Narita for 24 hours due to the Tonga volcano and covid border closures), but this time I was flying through Haneda. This gave me a chance to check out the Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Haneda and see whether it is similar to the Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Narita which I reviewed last year.
From a food perspective these lounges are pretty similar – the QR codes menus were basically the same even though I had visited a year apart. While I had thought may be this was a hangover from covid still as the international borders of Japan only fully opened in October 2022, however the menus have still stayed very similar between the two first class lounges since.
I have updated this review with a visits in May and June 2024. The lounges were very similar in 2024 to when I had previously visited them – most food was still ordered through an app and the menu was very similar in style.
Anyway, lets take a look at the foods served in this first class JAL lounge Haneda.
What’s healthy?
- There is a sushi bar in the lounge making fresh sushi to order and I found it delicious. The snapper sushi was my favourite. The portions were on the small side which was great as this reduced the amount of white rice.


- There were small bites available on individual plates from the bar area. There were three different types available in both 2023 and 2024. I really liked this amuse bouche style of snack as it helps to keep portion sizes small while allowing you to eat delicious food. The presentation was lovely.




- The vegetables in the vegetarian salad in 2023 were crisp and brightly coloured. The salad came with olive oil on the side which was good so you could drizzle the amount that you liked. I was so excited to see the salad was a decent size as when I visited the first lounge at Narita 12 months prior, the salad dish was beautifully served on a similar big plate but was a tiny portion.
- This was a innovative salad in 2024 – I loved the mix of green leaves, pickled purple cabbage, freeze dried vegetables such as pumpkin, and a spoonful of grains, all topped off with a drizzle of olive oil. The elements all come together to provide a great taste while also packing a nutrition punch! The purple cabbage is a standout for me – providing some prebiotic fibres, antioxidants and flavour. It was a fairly small serve on the large plate (inline with how other dishes were plated and presented) – I would liked to have seen a slightly larger serve so I could eat more vegetables without having to order another dish (some people might not have time of feel self conscious ordering another plate).


- The beautifully presented Japanese Meal Set came with rice, miso soup, spicy seasoned cod, rolled omelet, mackerel misoni, cucumber, hijiki, roasted seaweed. The flavours in this box were delicious, and the foods quite nutritious (other than the white rice). While eating large amounts of predominantly white rice are not healthy, this box had a number of protein sources and some plant based foods. Adding a salad to the side will make a more balanced meal by increasing the amount of vegetables in the meal. Try eating only half the rice served – enough to provide some nice flavour to the other components of the meal, but without the corresponding rise in blood sugar levels associated with eating large amounts of refined, high GI carbohydrates.

- Ok I know what you are thinking – the vegetable penne is certainly not as well presented as the other meals. But despite all appearances, the penne sauce did have a decent amount of vegetables in the tomato based sauce (such as zucchini and capsicum). Similar to other dishes in the lounge, the portion size was quite modest which helps make this dish healthier (it isn’t just a large dish of pasta).



Not so great. Caution.
- A signature dish in the Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Haneda, the Japanese Curry had amazing flavours, however was there were only a couple of very small pieces of beef in the dish. Similar to the version I had in the Narita lounge, the dish was mainly sauce and white rice.


- Ok so in the photo below the almond snacks belong in the healthy section (almonds are quite nutritious), but watch out for the lollies and sweet cookies available.


Last word from travel food and nutrition review for Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Haneda Tokyo
Not much has changed over the last few years – the first class lounge menu at Haneda in May 2024 was similar to January 2023, and the first class lounge at Narita in January 2022. The food is presented beautifully, and you can watch the sushi being made fresh by the chefs in the lounge. The attention to food quality and presentation is clear. The small serve sizes of each of the dishes is great for health while travelling long-haul. While many dishes include white rice, the portion sizes are small and there is flexibility on how much you order e.g. you can order single pieces of sushi. Overall you can eat a balanced meal however this usually requires the ordering of a side salad with most dishes. So don’t forget to check out the brightly coloured side salads!
I don’t like how The Table has a cafeteria-like feel to eat, and that to order you food you mostly need to be in The Table area. Ordering off the app for most of the food in the lounge is handy but it takes away the interaction with lounge staff and on a few occasions I have had the orders have been wrong (when I had ordered a few items in the one app order).
For more information on my visits to airport lounges, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Tik Tok. And I always love hearing from you so if you want personalised advice or consultancy services please reach out.
NOTE: All pictures of Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Haneda are my own and I review a lounge from the foods and menu I see during my visit. There may be different options available at other times.

Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge Food and Nutrition Review – Toyko (Narita), Japan
The Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge at Tokyo Narita offers a busy a la carte dining experience with an array of both Japanese and Western dishes, such as JAL Original Beef Curry and various salads. However, the ground floor serves more processed snacks, and the overall atmosphere can feel hectic due to the large crowds and the need to eat upstairs.