Enjoy Haneda Airport from the sea [Haneda Airport Circumnavigation Cruise Part 1

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A dynamic landing scene unique to this cruise

Haneda Airport, a "giant maritime city" that never sleeps 24 hours a day

A view of Haneda Airport from offshore makes the familiar scenery of the airport seem fresh and new.
It has been more than 90 years since Haneda Airport opened in August 1931.
Before the global spread of infectious diseases in 2019, Tokyo International Airport had 458,000 takeoffs and landings per year and boasted 85 million total passengers on international and domestic flights combined. Commonly known as Haneda Airport. It is said that 55,000 people a day work at the airport, which does not sleep 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In this issue, we will introduce the "Haneda Airport Round-the-City Cruise," a two-hour tour of this "huge maritime city" from the sea, in the first and second parts!

From Terminal 3 to the Haneda Airport Terminal

Terminal 3, the meeting point for this cruise (note that the meeting point differs depending on the cruise).
This cruise is conducted by "Haneda Passenger Service Co. Please refer to the link to the official website at the end of this article.
This time, we will gather on the first floor of Haneda Airport Terminal 3, where international flights arrive and depart, complete a temperature check for infection control and other registration procedures, and then walk with our guide for about 15 minutes to the Haneda Airport pier facing the Tama River. There is little shade on the way to the pier, so don't forget to bring a hat and sunscreen. A hat clip or similar item would be useful to keep your hat from getting blown off on the boat.

Haneda Airport Terminal 3 is accessible to Haneda Airport from the sea.

The Haneda Airport pier, where we boarded the ship.
The Haneda Airport Pier is located at the foot of the Tama River Sky Bridge that connects Haneda Airport to Kawasaki City on the other side of the river, which opens on March 12, 2022. The pier was originally used by tankers carrying aircraft fuel, and was renovated for passenger ships. It is expected to serve not only as a landing place for small cruise ships, but also as a water transportation hub in case land transportation is unavailable, such as in the event of a disaster.
The Tamagawa Sky Bridge and the pier at the Haneda Airport terminal (lower right)

Finally, we depart for our cruise!

The "Jetsailor," on which we will board this time.

The "Jetsailor" is equipped with onboard restrooms (photo courtesy of KMC Corporation).
We boarded the stylish vessel, whose indigo blue and white coloring was vibrant to the eye, and set out on a two-hour cruise! The roof of the aft deck is a skeleton structure, so you can enjoy the sea breeze and the sight of aircraft overhead from the comfort of your seat on the ship. The open deck at the aft end of the ship is recommended for taking pictures!
Although the mouth of the Tama River is wide, there are many shoals and reefs, so proceed slowly and carefully. After a while, the "Old Otorii (Grand Gate) of Anamori Inari Shrine" came into view.
The Otorii (Grand Gate) of the former Anamori Inari Shrine, located at the southwest end of Haneda Airport
The Otorii was erected in 1929, but after the war ended in September 1945, when the Haneda Airfield was confiscated by the U.S. military, Anamori Inari Shrine and the surrounding residents were forcibly removed and forced to relocate. In 1999, it was relocated to its current location in response to requests from local residents who wanted it to remain as a symbol of the community even after the relocation of Haneda Airport off the coast.

A leisurely cruise along the canal

The vermilion "Tenkubashi" bridge, which is also the name of a Keikyu station
After passing the Metropolitan Expressway Haneda Line, the Haneda Movable Bridge comes into view on the left and right. Normally, the bridge is open in the shape of the letter "C" so as not to obstruct the passage of ships.
Haneda movable bridge" on the Metropolitan Expressway Haneda Line
The announcement on board said that the Haneda movable bridge is mainly used for VIPs such as state guests and members of the royal family, but our guide said that he had never actually seen the bridge in use.
After passing the Haneda movable bridge and proceeding along the canal between Keihin Island Tsubasa Park and Haneda Airport, we arrived at the end of the 2,500-meter Runway B.

Weather permitting, you can see the Sky Tree and the Gate Bridge.

If the weather is fine, you can see Tokyo landmarks such as the Tokyo Sky Tree (back left) and the Tokyo Gate Bridge (back right).

Finally at the end of the runway

Approach lights for Runway B on the sea.

Enjoy the dynamic landing scene of an aircraft

On the day of our visit, Runway B was used for landing and Runway C for takeoff, so we stayed in the vicinity for about 20 minutes to get a good view of the aircraft landing. It was just before noon, when there were relatively few takeoffs and landings, but even so, one aircraft from all over Japan was slowly descending overhead every three to four minutes.

A spectacular landing unfolds before your eyes.

The onboard guide naturally stirred up the traveler's interest as he announced the departure location, airline name, flight number, and model of the aircraft that was getting ready to land, while looking at the aircraft location information app.
An aircraft prepares to land on runway B.
Aircraft descending to the runway along the approach lights
I am sure that many of you are reading this article right now while looking down using your smartphones or tablets.
Why don't you look up from the small screen of your smartphone or tablet once in a while and take a trip to Haneda Airport to see the wide sky and the sea? You will be surprised to find that the sky over Tokyo is bluer than you think, and the sea in Tokyo is azure beyond your imagination.
Please look forward to the second part of this article! Please refer to the related article below for more information.
HPS Haneda Passenger Service Co., Ltd.'s Haneda-Yokohama-Tokyo Bay Cruise Tour official website is here:
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