ANA Airlines ANA Business Class Tokyo Lounge
The ANA Business Class Lounge in Tokyo Narita Satellite 5 is the vast showpiece lounge for All Nippon. Band new only a few years ago, it shows off all the features you'd expect from ANA, and boy is it good!
Tokyo ANA Airlines ANA Business Class lounge review
The general theme of the lounge is contemporary Japanese: not for ANA is the rough pastiche of old Japan you may find in the say the United Lounge, but instead cool browns and white screens in a soothing Zen-like decor. There is a great view out of the windows from lovely comfortable chairs, lots of snacks and sushi, a business centre, a foreign currency exchange, a Noodle Bar, and a small private Sake Bar. The ANA Lounge Narita Tokyo has it all.
To get to the ANA Tokyo lounge take the lift or escalator in the middle of the airport terminal satellite, where there is the long marble reception desk. First is on the right, business class is on left. The lounge is bright, modern and very large, with over 600 seats.
The Narita Tokyo ANA Lounge was opened in 2006 as the joint Star Alliance lounge, when other airlines closed their lounges to move in together, and as such, can get very busy when the flights to Europe or the US all depart at similar times. There is a very good view of the apron and the active runways.
Once in the lounge you pass the newspaper rack and there is a large main food bar, then lots of seats separated by wooden screens, before you make your way to long bench like seats overlooking the runway.
Curve left from here to the point of the lounge, with a great view of the gates, then further round where there is the cook to order noodle bar. Back in the main part of the lounge is a duty free display and the foreign currency exchange.
Carry further on down the corridor in the ANA Business Class Lounge in Tokyo Narita Satellite 5 and you get to part of the lounge only regulars find: there are plenty of seats here, although no more windows. Then at the back of the lounge there is another bar at the far end with 4 beer pouring machines.
Straight ahead from here is the sleeping area: and ANA have done it properly! It's lovely and dark, behind a huge curtain, with a dozen or so recliner. Left from the bar is another dining area, while beyond this is the work area, with lots of work cubicals. Finally, if you curve all the way left, there is the hidden delight of the Sake bar, overlooking an inner courtyard at the airport.
Food
Food isn't very substantial, however it is very good quality in the ANA Tokyo Narita Business Class Lounge.
All day there are very small sandwiches in clingfilm (four different types), and Suchi, in the main servery area, plus cheese, crackers, and cookies.
However if you want hot food there is the udon noodle and ramen soup bar. This is right as you come in, and up the ramp. Go to the small serving hatch, and you will see a list (in Japanese only) of the 6 types available today. Ask for one from the little man behind the hatch, he'll give you a number, and 5 minutes later your noodles are ready. They are really refreshing.
Or if you go up to the dining room section at the far end of the lounge, in the fridge by the Sake bar are yoghurts and cheeses.
Bar
If you want a drink, this is the best lounge for it. There are two bars, both with 4 beer pouring machines. There is Poccari Sweat in the fridge and Budweiser beer in bottles: but most people go for the beer pouring machines: it is facinating watching them get the head just right on the beer.
At the far end, if you go left and left again as you enter, is the hidden delight... the Sake bar. Here there are a dozen bottles of sake you can try at anytime, complete with tasting notes: just take a glass, and return it to the bar when you have finished. There are even chairs at the bar (of the BA design) if you don't want to move.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms are in the lounge, with very good showers, in what is called the 'refresh suite' with the usual Japanese ones with all the electronic gadgets.
Business Facilities
There is a large business centre at the far end too, with work pods with 18 fast computers. To get the computer running you need to give it a name, address and Email, however these are not verified.There is also free wifi throughout the lounge, and even a strange mobile phone booth so you don't annoy other people.
However there are just two landline phone boxes half way down the main arm of the lounge. Showers are on the left here:
Left as you come in is a newspaper stand (with just the Herald Tribune and USA today and FT, no English papers).
Tokyo Narita Business Class Lounge access
This lounge is also used by Lufthansa, SAS and Singapore Airlines. United Airlines have their own lounge complex which is actually larger than ANAs, and is one of the rare cases where United offer better facilities.
There are actually two sets of ANA lounges that look identical, one is in Satellite 4 (around gate 40) and the other in Satellite 5 around gate 56. The two are in reality quite different, with the Satellite 5 one being much nicer with more space, and much better views. Be warned they are quite a hike apart, so you can't run between them.
There is an underground tunnel that you can walk between the 56 gates and the 40 gates, so if you want to stretch your legs you can wander into the tunnel between them - just beware it isn't very well signed.
You may be best to print out a map before you depart.
Video: ANA Lounge satellite 5
