Enjoy watching planes take off in Japan – from an onsen

Guests at the newly opened Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier & Grand Haneda Airport can relax in a rooftop hot spring while enjoying views of Mount Fuji and planes taking off from Tokyo Haneda International Airport.

Opened in December, Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier & Grand Haneda Airport features 1,717 rooms and is directly connected to Terminal 3 of Haneda International Airport. Its amenities include an indoor and outdoor natural hot spring spa, an event hall, kid-friendly suites, a gym, and multiple restaurants.

What sets it apart, according to its developers, is its location within Haneda Airport Garden, a multifunctional commercial complex and bus terminal developed by Sumitomo Realty Group.

The complex, described as a “city where people gather and live,” houses around 74 shops across two floors, offering a wide range of tax-free food and souvenirs from across Japan.

Visitors can find everything from chopsticks made from repurposed baseball bats to sweets adorned with traditional Japanese ukiyo-e prints, all after savoring local delicacies in a food hall designed to evoke Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868).

Tourism revival

After a hiatus of more than two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism to Japan has steadily increased since the government resumed visa-free travel for many nations in October.

In March, the number of foreign visitors reached its highest post-pandemic level of approximately 1.82 million, up from 1.48 million in February, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).

Tokyo has set an ambitious target of welcoming 60 million overseas visitors by 2030. This goal is fueled by expectations of a steady rise in visitor numbers, especially with major international events like Expo 25 in Osaka scheduled for 2025.

As international tourism rebounds, Haneda, recognized as the world’s most punctual mega-airport, aims to leverage this growth.

A slice of Japan

Developers envision their new hotel and airport complex as a miniature representation of Japan’s regional crafts and culinary delights, catering to both international visitors and local day-trippers seeking relaxation and local flavor.

For those eager to explore beyond the airport, a bus terminal offers 30 different routes connecting travelers to popular destinations like Osaka, Sendai, and the ski resort town of Hakuba in Nagano Prefecture.

Developers plan to extend these routes to even more regions of Japan as part of a larger initiative to revitalize the country’s rural areas, according to Katsuyuki Tou, general manager of Haneda Airport Garden.

Tou shared that visitors to the multi-use complex can already sample some of Japan’s finest offerings, such as matcha lattes from a 90-year-old green tea shop or handmade traditional Japanese umbrellas.

Next, developers aim to enhance the experience by adding more immersive elements.

“In the future, we want visitors to engage in more than just shopping or viewing items. For example, we hope to offer hands-on experiences like making traditional green tea or sweets, sparking curiosity that encourages exploration of other regions of Japan,” he explained.

“Our goal is to contribute to the revival of Japan’s tourism, with Haneda Airport Garden serving as the gateway for visitors.”

How to reach it

Haneda Airport Garden is conveniently connected by train to the Keihin Electric Express Railway Airport Line and is just a minute's walk from Tokyo Monorail’s Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station.

Additionally, the complex is accessible directly from the second floor of Haneda Airport’s Terminal 3.