About 1,100 people watched the first sunrise of the year Friday on six special New Year's flights arranged by three airlines, with passengers on some of the flights also enjoying a view of Mount Fuji.
Struggling Japan Airlines Corp., which is seeking a turnaround under state supervision, operated three of the flights, each departing from and returning to either Tokyo's Haneda airport, Narita airport in Chiba Prefecture or Kansai airport in Osaka Prefecture. The flights carried a combined total of 750 people.
All Nippon Airways Co. had two flights — one from Haneda that circled over Mount Fuji before returning to the airport and another leaving from and returning to Kansai airport.
Star Flyer Inc. ran a short sunrise flight from Kitakyushu airport in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Kazuya Gokita, a 27-year-old company employee from Tokyo who was on JAL's New Year's flight from Haneda, said: "It was the first time for me to see the first sunrise of the year from the sky, and I was inspired by the beautiful scenery. I want to do it again next year."
Gokita was among 255 passengers on the near-capacity Boeing 767 that left Haneda airport at 5:50 a.m. and circled above Mount Fuji, before returning to the airport about two hours later.