[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Flacker

A great circle route (the shortest route) from Vancouver to Tokyo would be over southern Alaska (over Anchorage) while from Toronto you would be over central/northern Alaska. Both would go out over the Aluetians and south along the coast of Siberia to Japan.

Vancouver to Tokyo doesn't go over mainland Alaska at all - at least not the shortest route. Calgary to Tokyo still flies south of Anchorage.