Is this Tokyo Haneda’s best airport lounge?

Centurion Lounges are a cornerstone perk for premium Amex card-holders.

Although often considered as a go-to when there’s no lounge available for the airline you’re flying with, Centurion Lounges can often best the local business class lounge.

That’s definitely true of the newly-opened Centurion Lounge at Tokyo’s bustling Haneda Airport, and in some ways it’s arguably on par with even the first class lounges of ANA and JAL.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

Location & access

The American Express Centurion Lounge at Haneda is located at Terminal 3, which hosts almost all of Haneda’s international flights.

You’ll find it on Level 4 of a ‘lounge cluster’ opposite gate 112, where the Centurion Lounge is a neighbour to Japan Airlines’ business class Sakura Lounge.

And fwo floors up is the Cathay Pacific lounge, which remains a favourite of mine and adds to the lounge-hopping potential if you’re of a mind.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

The American Express Centurion Lounge is open daily from 8am to 10pm for travellers with premium American Express cards – such as Platinum personal and business cards, and the invitation-only black Centurion Card – within three hours of their flight’s departure.

(Also welcome are Delta Air Lines passengers holding an Amex co-branded Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card or Business Card).

First impressions

Elegantly designed and thoughtfully styled, this is a beautiful lounge.

The warm, sophisticated palette draws heavily on a deep Japanese-inspired indigo hue which nods to Amex’s brighter on-brand blue.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

This is complemented by natural materials and textures, including slatted wood, stone, patterned ceramic tiles, and subtle walnut and black ash accents.

It’s also a very small lounge, with room for only 122 people. 

As such, it quickly becomes crowded in the morning and evening peak periods, although there are always seats and tables reserved for elite Centurion card-holders.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

Another benefit of that Black card at Haneda include access to a pocket-sized private room near the front of the lounge.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

The lounge makes good use of this restricted footprint, with the entry opening into a long ‘living room’ which guides visitors through to the bar and dining area.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

The mix of seating stretches from relaxing armchairs and curved sofas to booths and banquettes.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

With a long stretch of the lounge facing windows which overlook the airfield, there’s plenty of natural light plus pleasing views regardless of the hour.

Strategically placed through the lounge are AC outlets plus USB-A and USB-C sockets, with the latter rated at a phone- and tablet-friendly 18 watt output, while the free Wi-Fi averaged 245Mbps in both directions.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

And while most airport lounges these days have phone booths where you can make calls and hammer away at the laptop, the Centurion Lounge at Haneda boasts two oversized ‘Phone Rooms’.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

These aren’t just for talking and working: with a comfortable recliner and ottoman, you can temporarily shut off the world around you, aided by a ‘relaxation audio experience’ which plays gentle music or the calming soundscapes of water, birdsong, a forest, or the wind through the trees.

While these booths can’t be reserved, nor do they have a time limit – so if they’re available, you can grab one and stay as long as you like.

To freshen up before your flight there are two spacious, well-appointed shower suites with L’Occitane products, a Dyson hair dryer, and a sensible 30-minute time limit.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

Food & drink

This is where Haneda’s American Express Centurion Lounge really shines.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

The menu is designed by Chef Satoshi Ogino, who has helmed the kitchens of several Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo, including his own Akasaka Ogino, and dishes are freshly made on the spot.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

Between 8am and 11am, travellers can enjoy breakfast delights such as hand-wrapped onigiri, pancakes and fluffy Japanese omelettes.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

From 11:30am to 4pm during my visit, it was time for ramen and Wagyu sliders featuring highly-regarded Ozaki beef.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

And from 4pm to 8pm, three kinds of sushi were served – Ozaki beef, tuna, and salmon.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

Across most of the day, through to when the lounge closes at 10pm, the self-serve buffet offered the likes of miso soup, grilled black cod marinated in yuzu soy sauce and simmered wagyu beef – and, of course, Japan’s unofficial national dish of beef curry and rice.

This was accompanied by a selection of salads, Japanese sides (such as pickled vegetables and white sesame tofu) and sweets (including dainty and delicious nerikiri wagashi sweets, watermelon jelly and matcha brownies).

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

Just leave some room for the single-serve tubs of ice cream supplied by local artisanal brand Hio.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

Fancy a drink before, after or during your meal? The Centurion Lounge’s art deco-themed bar won’t disappoint.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

Even the stand-in for Champagne – Italy’s Bellenda San Fermo Prosecco – is a decent drop, although those wielding a black Centurion card receive discreet pours of Veuve Clicquot and 12-year old Yamazaki single malt.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

But the cocktails take centre stage here, anchored by Japanese whisky, sake, and shochu.

A speciality is the Blue Bird – a mix of sake, curaçao and soda water – although you can also try the Japanese Garden (Japanese whisky, green liqueur and green tea), Rum Calpis (rum, Calpico, lime juice and soda) and Samurai Rock (sake, lime juice and syrup).

The only downside? There’s no barista-pulled coffee, although at least the bar does serve a solid espresso martini.

The American Express Centurion Lounge, Tokyo Haneda

In short, the American Express Centurion Lounge at Tokyo Haneda packs plenty of appeal into a pocket-sized space.

It’s superior to any airline business class lounge at Haneda Terminal 3, and in some aspects can hold its own against the first class lounges, although crowding is definitely an issue.

If you’re on an international flight out of Haneda and have the right type of American Express card sitting in your travel wallet, there’s no good reason not to visit the Centurion Lounge.

David Flynn travelled to Tokyo as a guest of American Express.