EAT > Sushi Nagata, Appi Kogen (17/20)

Sushi Nagata at Appi Kogen is the quiet, omakase-style heart of this snow resort: a compact counter where Sanriku’s deep-sea richness, meticulous craft, and a faintly hushed hotel calm come together on the second floor of the ANA Crowne Plaza Resort Appi Kogen. Seasonal seafood, handled with a measured, almost ceremonial precision, makes this one of the most assured places in Appi to sit, slow down and understand how serious the mountain can be about fish as well as snow.

AMBIENCE >

Slide off the slopes, ride the elevator to the main building’s second floor, and the mood shifts from big-resort buzz to a low-lit, Japanese-modern hush: timber, soft glow and ten counter seats wrapped around the chef’s workspace set the tone. The room feels more like an intimate city sushi-ya that has quietly migrated to the mountains than a hotel restaurant—compact, composed, and tuned to conversation and the rhythm of nigiri rather than to après-ski noise.

It is not easy to find Sushi Nagata, it is a restaurant inside a restaurant (something like a russian doll), it is a common reception for three restaurants with each a small dedicated restaurant but sharing some common areas and back of house functions (Sushi Nagata, Teppanyaki Kazan and Nanashigure).

At Sushi Nagata, the counter is the obvious place to be: from here, the choreography is close-range—fish being portioned, rice worked just warm, wasabi grated and brushed on with the kind of small, unfussy gestures that signal serious intent rather than showmanship. Service leans calm and gently formal but stays relaxed enough for a resort crowd: staff are used to a mix of seasoned Japan hands and first-time omakase guests, guiding you through the structure of the meal and fielding questions without making it feel like a lesson.

EAT >

The kitchen leans into Sanriku—the Pacific coast that is one of the world’s great fishing grounds—pulling in seasonal seafood and letting it carry most of the story, whether as clean, tight nigiri or more composed Japanese dishes. Expect a progression that might move from lighter, translucent white fish and shellfish through richer cuts of tuna, Hokkaido or Tohoku crab, maybe uni in season, each piece brushed and balanced so the rice sits as a quiet partner rather than just ballast.

Omakase is the way to go here: courses often fold in small cooked elements—chawanmushi, grilled or simmered dishes—that nod to kaiseki structure without losing focus on the sushi. The rice work is careful and temperature-conscious, with seasoning pitched to flatter the cooler climate seafood rather than overwhelm it; nothing is flashy, but there is a consistency and polish that make it feel firmly “big city” despite the mountain postcode.

DRINK >

This is very much a sake counter: the list pulls in carefully chosen bottles that sit comfortably alongside pristine Sanriku seafood, with staff ready to steer you toward regional Iwate and Tohoku labels if you want to drink more locally. Think clean, food-friendly styles rather than trophy bottles—enough breadth to track the meal from lighter sashimi through to richer, fattier cuts of fish, without drowning the sushi in alcohol or aroma.

The wine list is not bad with a range of old world european classics at a very healthy markup and a few new world wines that round out the list.

And of course there is beer and sochu, but it would be a shame not to lean into sake at least for part of the meal, the sommelier who is a classic Japanese rockabilly will do his very best to find you the wine, sake or drink that you are looking for.

CONCLUSION >

Sushi Nagata is that rare mountain-town counter that feels entirely at ease being both a destination and a hotel restaurant: serious fish, serious rice and quietly attentive service, without the stiffness that can come with some downtown Tokyo addresses. For Appi regulars, it is the omakase splurge that anchors a trip; for first-timers, it is where the resort shows just how far beyond “ski food” it is prepared to go.

This is not a cheap dining experience expect to spend prices similar to premium Tokyo Omakase but it is definitely in a similar level of service and as everyone knows things cost more in the snow!

Book ahead—seating is limited and the schedule shifts with the season—and aim for an early or mid-evening sitting so there is time to linger and talk with the chef between runs of nigiri. Step out afterward to the quiet of the plateau and it feels perfectly pitched: a crisp, highland night, powder on the slopes, and the taste of Sanriku still sitting, clean and precise, on the palate.

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Image Credit | ALMANAK

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