Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airlines operate frequent internal flights to and from Hokkaido, often using high-density widebody aircraft. Today, our B-777-200 was completely filled with Japanese tourists. This made my heart pound a bit, “What do they know, and where are they going?”
It is a relatively short flight—1 hour and 30 minutes from Haneda to New Chitose Airport—but within 20 minutes after takeoff, the all-female crew orchestrated a full meal and beverage service. The food was surprisingly good.
Soon, the fasten seat belt light appeared as we prepared for landing. During our descent into New Chitose International Airport, I was struck by the agricultural feel of the landscape. There were miles of rice paddies and potato patches. The perfectly aligned rows of corn and wheat formed a lovely patchwork design of green and gold. I remember thinking, “Wow, they sure grow a lot of stuff here.”
