About this flight
From Taipei Songshan Airport in Taiwan’s capital city, I returned to Haneda on an ANA economy class flight.
Before boarding, I used the business class lounge at the airport.
In the lounge, I enjoyed Taiwan’s delicious cuisine — starting with the famous braised pork rice *Lǔ ròu fàn*, along with various types of dim sum and Taiwanese stir-fried dishes. I was fully satisfied by the wonderful flavors of Taiwan.
The flight time to Haneda was about 2 hours and 45 minutes. While enjoying the in-flight meal (including a simmered hamburger steak) and watching a movie, the flight passed quickly and we soon arrived at Haneda.
Table of Contents
Taipei Songshan Airport
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Walking to the Airport
Taipei Songshan Airport is located right in the city, only about a 30-minute taxi ride from central Taipei. Since I had been strolling around the city during the day, I simply walked to the airport from downtown. It’s close enough that walking is actually quite easy.
Terminal 2
This is Terminal 2, which serves domestic flights only. I walked past here and continued on to the international terminal.
Terminal 1
And this is Terminal 1, the international terminal.
Aviation Goods Shop (1)
Inside Terminal 1, there’s a shop selling all kinds of aviation-related items—an absolute delight for aviation fans.
They have many aircraft models, travel pillows for inflight use, airshow-style jackets, and even T-shirts featuring aircraft like the Boeing 787-10.
Aviation Goods Shop (2)
This is the back section of the shop. The variety of aircraft models is truly impressive. Having a store like this inside the airport is a real treat for aviation enthusiasts.
Departure Information
This board shows transportation options from Songshan Airport, including buses into Taipei city and long-distance buses to other regions of Taiwan.
International Arrivals
The international arrivals area. The arrival board shows flights from the following cities:
- • Shanghai Hongqiao
- • Shanghai Pudong
- • Tokyo Haneda
- • Seoul Gimpo
EVA Air Check-in Counters
I walked past the EVA Air check-in counters.
Airport Sculpture
This sculpture was displayed in the airport—a winged horse. The same sculpture also stands at the airport entrance, so it may be one of Songshan Airport’s symbols.
Gift Shop
After completing immigration formalities, I entered the airside area, which has several shops selling Taiwanese souvenirs.
Lounge
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Lounge Entrance
This is the entrance to the lounge. It is used by several Asian airlines, including carriers from Taiwan, China, Japan (JAL and ANA), and Indonesia.
Lounge Invitation
The lounge invitation card I received at the check-in counter.
Drink Refrigerator
The refrigerator with beverages available in the lounge.
- • Soy milk
- • Fruit juices
- • French wine: Baron d’Arignac
- • Pocari Sweat
- • Beer (Taiwan Beer, Kirin Ichiban Shibori)
Drink Corner
This is the main drink corner.
- • Red wine
- • A selection of tea bags (black tea and various herbal teas)
The dim sum section is located in the back on the left.
Taiwanese Lu Rou Fan
In the center are the toppings for Lu Rou Fan, Taiwan’s famous braised pork rice. You scoop the pork—pork belly simmered in a sweet soy-based sauce—onto the rice on the left. It’s incredibly delicious, a classic dish found at food stalls and casual eateries in Taiwan.
Eating Lu Rou Fan always makes me feel like I’ve truly arrived in Taiwan.
Japanese-style curry is also available at the back right.
Taiwanese Cuisine Corner
This is the section with Chinese (Taiwanese) hot dishes.
- • Deep-fried marinated chicken
- Coated with potato starch before frying
- • Stir-fried leafy greens
- • Stir-fried vegetables with greens, red bell pepper, and lily bulbs
Dorayaki
- • Dorayaki (Japanese sweet pancake with red bean filling)
A pleasant surprise for Japanese travelers.
Hot Dishes
More hot dishes.
- • Stir-fried squid with baby corn, carrots, and green beans
- • Roasted pumpkin
Dim Sum
This dim sum item features a shumai topped with braised pork belly.
Dim Sum Steamers
Six steamers filled with various types of dim sum—plenty to choose from.
Snack Corner
- • Cherry tomatoes and pineapple
- • Airplane-shaped crackers
- • Assorted bean snacks
My Meal
The meal I enjoyed in the lounge.
- • Lu Rou Fan topped with a boiled egg
- • Three kinds of Taiwanese hot dishes
Dim Sum I Had
- • Five varieties of dim sum
Taiwan is famous for dim sum, and the lounge offers a wide selection. - • Cherry tomatoes
- • Taiwan Beer (Gold Medal)
The most popular beer in Taiwan, a crisp lager. - • Red wine
Boarding
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Duty-free Liquor Shop
This is the duty-free shop selling alcoholic beverages.
- • Johnnie Walker — Scotch whisky
- • CHIVAS — Whisky
- • DALMORE — Scotch whisky
- • Hennessy — Cognac brandy, etc.
Guide to Boarding Gates
A sign showing how many minutes it takes to walk to each gate.
Songshan Airport Three-letter Code
This is an installation featuring the three-letter airport code “TSA” for Taipei Songshan Airport.
It seems to be a spot for taking commemorative photos.
Art Installation
This art piece displayed inside the terminal features the words “LOVE TAIPEI” and “Lovely City.” The circular base is decorated with the word “love” written in various languages from around the world.
Liquor Shop – Liqueurs
BAILEYS is an Irish cream liqueur brand.
In Ireland, there has long been a tradition of adding cream to whisky, and this brand produces liqueurs made by blending Irish whisky with cream.
Here, they appear to be promoting a limited-edition strawberry-and-cream flavor.
Boarding Gate
The boarding gate.
Boarding Bridge
The boarding bridge splits into two sections—one for business class and one for economy class. However, on this day the business class side on the left was not in use, so both business and economy passengers proceeded straight ahead.
In the Cabin
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Economy Class Seat
This was my economy class seat for the day.
The flight time is about 2 hours and 45 minutes, so by the time you enjoy the in-flight meal and watch some TV, you arrive before you know it.
Heading to the Runway
The aircraft began to move away from the parking stand and was heading toward the runway.
Economy Class Cabin
A view of the cabin.
Air China
An Air China aircraft parked at the apron.
In-flight Meal
This was the in-flight meal served on the flight.
- • (Main) Braised hamburger steak, bread
- • Kinpira burdock, potato salad
- • Fresh fruit
- • Sapporo beer
A very satisfying meal for a short-haul flight.
Beer After the Meal
Beer and snacks I enjoyed after the meal.
Near Kagoshima
By the time I finished eating and drinking, we were already near Kagoshima Prefecture.
Haneda Airport
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To Immigration
We arrived at Haneda Airport. Instead of disembarking via a passenger boarding bridge, we were taken to the terminal by bus. This photo shows the scene just after getting off the bus and heading toward the immigration area.
Arrivals Information Board
I safely returned to Japan. This is the arrivals information board located near the exit.
