For the uninitiated, Sapporo is the capital of Japan's northern Hokkaido island — home to some of the best powder skiing on the planet, world-class ramen, the famous Snow Festival, and a city that consistently punches above its weight as a travel destination. Until now, getting there from the U.S. meant routing through Tokyo's Narita or Haneda airports, dragging your luggage through immigration, rechecking bags, and burning half a day on layovers.

As one Bay Area traveler put it: "The flight there was so tiring. You had to fly into Narita or Haneda, get your luggage and go through immigration, then recheck your stuff in, so having a direct flight would be nice."

This is exactly the kind of move SFO should be making. Direct international routes aren't just convenient — they're economic engines. They bring tourism dollars in both directions, strengthen business ties, and make the Bay Area more competitive as a global hub. No government subsidy needed, no bureaucratic task force required. Just an airline seeing demand and meeting it. The free market doing its thing.

And here's the kicker that should make every Tahoe weekend warrior do a double-take. One local noted: "It's cheaper skiing in Japan with the flight and rental than it is going to Tahoe for even a weekend." Let that sink in. Flying across the Pacific Ocean to ski legendary Japanese powder can actually undercut a drive to the Sierra Nevadas. That says less about Japan being cheap and more about California's cost-of-everything crisis — but we'll save that rant for another day.

Another SF resident sang the city's praises beyond the slopes: "Sapporo is an amazing city, even outside of skiing. I found it to be much more approachable than Tokyo... The hill of Buddha and moai statues are spectacular in the winter. I would go back in a heartbeat."

Direct routes like this are a reminder that when barriers come down — whether it's regulation, red tape, or just bad routing — people and economies thrive. More of this, please.