Japan. 2019 Rugby World Cup. Manchester to Tokyo with All Nippon Airways or ANA

 Japan 2019. Rugby World Cup 

When the IRB announced that the Rugby World Cup 2019 would be held in Japan, I was very disappointed. 
During the 2007 tournament in France, the Argentine tourist board had used a bus and advertised Argentina, I had been impressed so I was hoping that the next Southern  Hemisphere Tournament would be held in that land of Beef, Tango and Red Wine. But, No! it was to be held in Japan. 

Japan was not a country I would ever have considered visiting, it was a country I knew very little about, apart from the fact that raw fish is consumed.... and I do not eat fish, I was very concerned about the food.

Rugby World Cup Japan 2019

Knowing that I had a lot to learn, my research started early and in 2015 I ordered a National Geographic map of Japan and pinned it to the wall.
When the stadiums were announced I dutifully identified the locations and marked them on the map.

In the first ticket ballot we got a pack for the England pool games.
Then in a subsequent ballot we got 2 quarter final games.
A glance at where the England games were to be held showed that we would be in the North, moving from Sapporo to Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe. If England got to the  ¼ finals then it looked like they would be in the very South of Japan in the town of Oita.
The organisers know that the England fans will travel-and they had us travelling!!

After much deliberating and discussion-mainly regarding logistics- and money ( Japan is still an expensive place to visit) we decided that in order to get as much out of the trip as we wanted to, we would forgo the first two pool games that were held in Sapporo and Kobe.
We would attend 2 Pool Games- in Tokyo and Yokohama- and the Quarter finals on the Island of Kyushu.

After the four years of planning and saving, on the 3rd October 2019 we checked into Manchester Airport and got a German Wings flight to Dusseldorf, where a brand new All Nippon Airways or ANA Dreamliner was waiting to take us to Tokyo.
The cabin was spotless, the crew charming, the seats comfortable and this airline had the best in flight safety information film I have ever seen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVknUh-cUzU

ANA Flight 

Then to get into the spirit, I ordered the Japanese Meal, this was one of the best airline meals I have ever had, and any fears of Raw Fish were quickly dispelled.

ANA in flight Meal 

ANA in-flight Meal 

As we touched down in Tokyo we had experienced one of the best flights we have ever had and will be looking to fly ANA again if we can.