The JAL First Class Lounges are the airline’s most exclusive lounge category, reserved for its First Class passengers and highest-grade frequent flyers. Despite its apparent exclusivity, the lounge actually welcomes many passengers each day, owing to Japan Airlines’ massive pool of frequent flyers. In the past, Narita had two JAL First Class Lounges, the other being in the satellite terminal. Due to the pandemic, however, JAL has elected not to reopen the satellite lounge, leaving this as the sole First Class lounge in the terminal.

Lounge Access Rules

The access rules to the Japan Airlines First Class Lounge are similar to any other top-tier oneworld member lounges. As such, it is reserved for its top-tier frequent flyers and passengers flying First Class on JAL or any other oneworld carrier. First Class passengers with a same-day reservation on a oneworld flight are also permitted access. Additionally, passengers connecting from a oneworld international flight in First Class are also eligible.

When accessing by status, passengers holding top-tier JMB Diamond or JGC Premier are eligible for access. This extends to Emerald status holders with oneworld carriers, such as Cathay Diamond, AAdvantage Executive Platinum, or BA Executive Club Gold. Visit the Japan Airlines website for the latest information.

Lounge Location

The JAL First Class Lounge is located in the main building of Terminal 2, right after the South Passport Control checkpoint. The entrance to the lounge is prominent, with JAL’s golden tsurumaru emblem and signs saying Sakura Lounge and First Class Lounge. If you’re in transit, follow the signs pointing to Gate 61, which is the closest gate to the lounge. Inside the frosted doors, you’ll find a shared reception for the JAL First Class Lounge and the JAL Sakura Lounge. However, if you’re heading to the First Class Lounge, it may be more convenient to take the escalators up one floor, where you’ll find the exclusive reception for the JAL First Class Lounge.

JAL First Class Lounge

After making your way in, you’ll see a reception desk immediately next to the entrance. Here, a friendly and polite lounge agent greeted me before taking my boarding pass to admit me into the lounge. As soon as she confirmed my status, she explained to me a bit about the lounge’s services and the location of my gate before inviting me in.

As this lounge is spread between two floors, I will be separating this review into two sections, to properly address the available amenities. I’ll begin with the Level 5 Dining and Lounge areas before addressing the Level 4 Lounge. For your reference, the following is a map of the JAL First Class Lounge.

Dining

Sushi Tsurutei

As soon as you enter the lounge, you’ll be met by rows of communal dining tables alongside smaller tables making up Sushi Tsurutei. This is followed by a long, padded bench complemented by individual dining tables across the sushi counter itself.

This dining setup continues well beyond the other end of the room, consisting of rows and rows of individual tables lined by long sofas running along two sides, before joining the JAL’s Table dining area. Fun fact, the name ‘Tsurutei’ is derived from Japan Airlines’ crane logo (tsurumaru), in which tsuru means crane and tei is a traditional suffix used for restaurant names.

As with any sushi restaurant, the selection at Tsurutei changes seasonally, with three kinds of sushi on offer each day. I’ll note that you don’t need to be seated in this area to order sushi from the counter. Instead, you can order sushi from anywhere in the dining area with the JAL Lounge+ app, which I’ll soon explain. However, bear in mind that Sushi Tsurutei is only open between 07.30 – 11.30 and 15.00 – 20.00. Sushi is not available outside of these times.

At Sushi Tsurutei, you’ll also find a similar selection of alcoholic drinks to the rest of the lounge. I will elaborate on this selection later in the review.

JAL’s Table

Past the Sushi Tsurutei dining area is JAL’s Table, the main dining area of the JAL First Class Lounge. While similar to the offering at the JAL Sakura Lounge Haneda, the First Class JAL’s Table features à la carte dining with table service. Food is ordered with the JAL Lounge+ app, which I’ll explain below.

Similar to the arrangement in the Sushi Tsurutei dining area, JAL’s Table consists of multiple communal tables running along the centre of the section. The communal tables are complemented by individual dining tables sharing a bench seat running along the window side and the walls. There are also individual dining tables seating four next to and between the communal tables. Power outlets are readily available on the communal tables and under the bench seats.

JAL’s Table Order Service

To use the JAL’s Table mobile order platform, simply connect to the lounge’s WiFi network and scan the QR code on the dining tables. Doing so will automatically launch the JAL Lounge+ app, which does not need to be installed. After requesting a scan of your boarding pass’s barcode, you can use the ‘Order & Booking’ tab to order food. The app will notify you when the food is ready for pickup. For reference, the following was the menu on offer on my visit.

As my visits on this trip coincided with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I was able to sample many of the dishes on offer. After placing my order, the à la carte dishes were brought individually to the table by the restaurant attendants. Finally, mimicking my past experiences here and at other JAL Lounges, each dish was delicious and of exceptional quality. With their beautiful presentation, they could easily belong in a fine restaurant!

Food Spread

In addition to the JAL’s Table à la carte dining service, there is also a small food spread consisting of a small selection of hors d’oeuvres and pastries. These hors d’oeuvres are also otherwise available at the beverage stations in the other parts of the lounge. I similarly found the quality of these finger foods to be excellent, though a bit less fresh compared to the à la carte dining (for obvious reasons).

Non-Alcoholic Drinks

There is a Coca-Cola-branded soft drink dispenser at the beverage stations in addition to the jugs of juice and milk in the chiller. The dispenser features Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Calpis, Calpis Soda, Ayataka Green Tea, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Minute Maid Orange and Lemon, and Georgia Iced Coffee. It also dispenses mineral and sparkling water. Expectedly, there is also a selection of Western and Japanese teas and a coffee machine brewing espresso-based drinks.

An additional selection of soft drinks is also available at the JAL’s Table counter, which includes Pocari Sweat, Perrier, Mandarin Orange mix juice, Oolong tea, milk, and tomato juice.

Alcoholic Drinks

JAL’s Table lacks a proper bar but it is made up with an impressive variety of drinks. First, two kinds of champagne are available, Champagne Chapuy Tradition and Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut. While the Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut is a mainstay of the lounge, the other champagne changes on a seasonal basis.

The lounge also offers a variety of Japanese and Western liquor and liqueurs. There are three kinds of sake, Suntory Umeshu, Kilchoman Comraich, Ballantines 17 Years, Wild Turkey 101, Tanqueray Gin, Camus Gastronomie Cognac, and Smirnoff Vodka. Campari Bitters, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Lejay Cassis, and Cinzano Vermouth were likewise available. Soda water and tonic water are placed in the chillers, ready to be mixed with the liquors.

There are also three white wines and two red wines, as well as several beers, all of which are dispensed by a machine. The beers available were Sapporo Yebisu, Suntory The Premium Malts, Kirin Ichiban Shibori, and Asahi Premium Nama Beer.

Toilet

Finally, I’ll add that there is also a toilet near the Sushi Tsurutei dining area, next to the entrance to the lounge. The toilets are segregated by gender and feature private toilet cubicles, equipped with excellent Toto Neorest toilets. This toilet supplements the larger toilet on the lounge corridor, between JAL’s Table and the lounge seating area.

Level 5 Lounge Area

Past the Dining Area, the lounge extends past a corridor to a small seating area featuring a variety of amenities. On the corridor itself, you’ll also find some seating booths complementing the lounge seating area, alongside the lift that takes you to the lower portion of the lounge. While the dining areas are bright and energetic, it’s interesting to see that the decor becomes darker and more intimate as you progress into the lounge.

Telephone Booths

As is widely the case in Japan, making telephone calls in enclosed spaces is frowned upon. In fact, nodding to this cultural norm, signs advising that phone calls are not allowed are scattered all over the lounge. Instead, such calls are expected to be taken in enclosed telephone booths, to limit the noise coming into the lounge.

There are eight booths in the First Class Lounge, including six on the lounge corridor on Level 5. A further two can be found at JAL’s Salon on Level 4 (more on that later). Power outlets are available in these booths.

Toilets

A larger pair of toilets is also located in the corridor between JAL’s Table and the telephone booth area. Like the other toilets, these are also gender-segregated. On my visit, I found that the toilet was regularly cleaned and well-kept.

However, what I liked about the washrooms is the fact that the toilets are housed within fully enclosed cubicles. What a difference with the lounge toilets in the US! Better yet, these cubicles feature the heated Toto Neorest smart toilets, which I am particularly fond of.

Seating Area

Finally, a dedicated lounge seating area is available at the back of the Level 5 lounge. The majority of seats in this section consist of high-walled semi-private pod chairs, akin to the Ilse Crawford Solo chairs you’d find at the Cathay Pacific Lounges; each chair features a leather cushion and a small table.

Running along the interior wall are also semi-private cubicles featuring lounge chairs with ottomans, complete with a side table and power outlets. In addition, there are also some solo table seats by the windows, similar in function to work desks. Power outlets are available at every seat.

Conveniently, the lounge seating area has a dedicated beverage station, complete with all the drinks you’d find in the main dining area. There is also an oshibori machine, which dispenses wet towels. As I’ve explained the drink selections in detail earlier, I won’t be doing so again.

Massage chairs

As you’d find at any JAL lounge, the Narita First Class Lounge features two massage chairs located towards the front end of the Level 5 Lounge seating area. The two massage chairs are housed in semi-private cubicles and are free to use. They also feature a complementary coat hanger and do not appear to have a set time limit as far as I was aware.

Cloakroom

Like those in the domestic First Class-grade Diamond Premier Lounges, the Narita International First Class Lounge also features a ‘cloakroom’. This is equivalent to storage lockers at other airline lounges. The cloakroom is located in the corridor, near the toilets and across from the lounge seating area. The lockers are relatively large and could easily fit a cabin-sized carry-on and heavier articles of clothing.

WiFi

The lounge has its own WiFi network separate from the rest of the terminal. There was no password for the network and the connection was fast and reliable. Connecting to this network is also essential to making food orders, as I have explained earlier.

Lift

At the end of the corridor, you’ll find a lift that will take you one level down to Level 4.

Level 4 Lounge Area

Once you get to Level 4 on the lift, you’ll be met with the reception for the JAL Sakura Lounge, as well as the entrance to JAL’s Salon and the First Class shower reception. As this area is merely an extension of the First Class Lounge, you will not need to present your boarding pass again.

Cloakroom

Next to the First Class Lounge reception is another dedicated cloakroom. Unlike the lockers on Level 5, this one fits closer to the traditional definition of a cloakroom. Here, you’ll find several shelves within a small enclosed room, on which carry-ons and other items can be stored, in addition to the lockers. There is also a coat hanging area for bulkier articles of clothing.

Printer

By the lift lobby, you’ll also find a printer and copying machine on a desk. While there was no instruction pertaining to its use, I’d imagine the lounge agents would be more than happy to assist in getting documents printed or copied.

JAL’s Salon

Finally, tucked at a hidden corner of Level 4 is JAL’s Salon, which is perhaps the centrepiece of the First Class Lounge in Tokyo Narita. I’ll admit that I actually had no idea this area existed for years until I noticed it on the lounge map. Regardless, with its subdued lighting and dark wooden furniture, JAL’s Salon is undoubtedly the most intimate area within the JAL First Class Lounge.

Whereas the majority of the lounge space in Level 5 is dedicated to dining, JAL’s Salon is exclusively a relaxed seating area. The seats at JAL’s Salon are composed mostly of padded chairs and leather sofa chairs arranged in rows facing each other and opposite each other. The area is even complemented by a bar, tended by who I believe is a Scottish bartender, to round off the elegant and refined vibe of the area.

Given its secluded location and subdued feel, it is no surprise that this is the quietest part of the JAL First Class Lounge. With power outlets readily available on the console by most seats, the area is also ideal for work. Had it not been for the absence of cigar smoke, the space would feel a lot like a fine gentlemen’s club. Having said that, I’ll note that JAL Salon does have a dedicated smoking area, which I’ll elaborate on in a bit.

Salon Bar

As I mentioned earlier, JAL’s Salon is home to the JAL First Class Lounge’s dedicated bar. The tended bar has a choice of several drinks and liquor exclusive to JAL’s Salon, in addition to made-to-order cocktails. This includes Beni Houji Tea, Mizudashi Tea, Hibiki Blender’s Choice Whisky, The Yamazaki Single Malt 12 Years, The Hakushu Single Malt, Roku Gin, Haku Vodka, and Kotoji sweets. Kanosuke New Born Whisky from Kagoshima was also on display.

In addition to the tended bar, the selection of most self-poured drinks and hors d’oeurves at the beverage station are identical to the drinks available on Level 5. This includes the four types of beer available in the beer machines, only in can form. As such, I won’t be elaborating the details of these drinks again.

Smoking Room

A smoking room is available within the JAL’s Salon area, near the Salon Bar. The smoking room is separated from the rest of the lounge with two sets of doors and features a long bench sofa with smoking tables.

Toilet

A third set of toilets is also available within the JAL’s Salon area, which is also gender-segregated. Like the restrooms on Level 5, these toilets feature bidet-equipped Toto Neorest toilets with heated seats. What’s even more special about these toilets is that each cubicle features a dedicated sink, making it even more private.

Shower

The JAL First Class Lounge shower facility is located behind the First Class reception desk. To request a shower, you can either use the JAL Lounge+ app or simply approach the reception desk. After making a request, the app will show a shower queue and notify you when one is ready. When you receive a notification, head to the Level 4 reception desk to get the keycard for your shower suite.

In addition to the shower stall, each room features a built-in toilet with a bidet. A bench big enough for a carry-on bag and a small closet is also built into the shower suite. Furthermore, a hairdryer is also provided in the shower room. However, note that toiletries like toothbrushes and hair combs need to be requested at the reception desk.

The shower stall itself features both a rain shower and a hand-held shower. The bath amenities are from Predia Fango, which is the same as you’ll find at the JAL Sakura Lounge next door. As such, it is no surprise that the water temperatures and pressure were similarly good. Regardless, I was actually surprised to see that the First Class shower suites are a lot less spacious than those in the Sakura Lounge and do not feature shower jets.

Overall

Overall, I found the JAL First Class Lounge at Tokyo Narita Airport to be an excellent and comfortable lounge. Its confusing layout might fool one into thinking that it isn’t very large. Considered as a whole, however, the lounge does feel as sophisticated as the Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge or the Qantas First Lounge. Despite its high level of patronage, I still found myself enjoying my visits to this lounge. And given the many amenities it offers and the excellent JAL’s Salon area, I wouldn’t think twice about arriving early for this. In fact, I’d arrive early just for its great and high-quality selection of food!

Read more from this trip here!