THE ALMANAK > JANUARY EDITORIAL

An ALMANAK is still, at heart, a guide: a way to make sense of seasons, places and the choices that fill your calendar. January continues to lean into that spirit, stretching from Japan’s snow country to the cellars of Burgundy and back to the bars and dining rooms that define our cities right now. January’s…

ByCrispy2 days ago0Comments

SKI > JAPAN

SKI > Maiko Ski Resort, Yuzawa Niigata Japan

Maiko Snow Resort is one of Snow Country’s most versatile all‑rounders: a big, three‑area hill with true ski‑in/ski‑out lodging, a purpose‑built day‑trip gondola base and easy Joetsu Shinkansen access that makes it a natural follow‑up (or contrast) to GALA, Kagura and Ishiuchi. For ALMANAK readers, it feels like a hybrid between a local favourite and a…

ByCrispy3 days ago0Comments

SKI > JAPAN

SKI > GALA Yuzawa, Niigata Japan

GALA Yuzawa is one of Japan’s most convenient snow resorts, a purpose-built hub where the Shinkansen literally delivers you into the ski centre before you ride straight up into three compact, well-planned ski areas. It feels more like a vertical snow terminal than a village, but for Tokyo-based day trippers and short-stay visitors chasing maximum…

ByCrispy3 days ago0Comments

SKI > JAPAN

SKI > Yuzawa Kogen Ski Resort, Yuzawa Niigata Japan

Yuzawa Kogen Ski Resort is a compact, ropeway-accessed mountain that fuses classic Echigo-Yuzawa onsen-town charm with big-mountain views, easy access and family-friendly terrain just minutes from the Shinkansen. The main ropeway — is one of the world’s largest, carrying up to 166 passengers—climbing about 500 vertical metres in a 7‑minute ride to the upper plateau,…

ByCrispy3 days ago0Comments

CAFE > CAFE > TOKYO

CAFE > Comfort Stand, Chiyoda Tokyo (17/20)

Comfort Stand in Chiyoda is a quietly precise little coffee room, the kind of calm, design-forward hideout where commuters, office workers and drip‑coffee obsessives share the same slow, measured pause between trains and meetings. Across espresso, filter and a short, thoughtful line of baked things, it feels less like a grab‑and‑go kiosk and more like…

ByCrispy4 days ago0Comments

EAT > JAPAN EAT > YUZAWA NIIGATA WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Uonuma Cuisine Murangozzo, Yuzawa (16/20)

Uonuma Cuisine Murangozzo is one of Yuzawa’s essential tables, a quietly ambitious dining room where hyper-local Uonuma produce, thoughtful technique, and deep hospitality come together just moments from the shinkansen tracks. This is the place to understand what “snow country gastronomy” really means, plate by plate. AMBIENCE > Stepping into Murangozzo on the second…

ByCrispyJanuary 9, 20260Comments

STAY > JAPAN STAY > YUZAWA & NIIGATA WHERE TO STAY >

STAY > Yukinohana, Yuzawa Niigata (17/20)

Yukemuri no Yado Yukinohana in Yuzawa is a polished modern ryokan that blends classic snow-country warmth with contemporary comfort, just a few minutes’ walk from Echigo-Yuzawa Station and some of Niigata’s easiest ski access. It feels purpose-built for weekend ski escapes and onsen-heavy winter breaks, with thoughtful touches—free private baths, night ramen, tatami-lined corridors—that make…

ByCrispyJanuary 9, 20260Comments

EAT > JAPAN EAT > TOKYO WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Abysse, Ebisu Tokyo (19/20)

Abysse in Ebisu is that rare fine-dining room where Tokyo’s elegance, French technique, and Japan’s coastal abundance converge in a single, quietly dramatic arc. Anchored by seafood and the seasons, chef Kotaro Meguro’s cooking feels both deeply considered and instinctive, like a tide that knows exactly when to rise and fall. AMBIENCE > Slip…

ByCrispyJanuary 9, 20260Comments

EAT > JAPAN EAT > TOKYO WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Sushi Mizukami, Chiyoda, Tokyo (18/20)

Sushi Mizukami in Ichibancho is a study in quiet precision: an intimate, nine-seat counter where Edomae tradition, long-honed technique and a distinctly Kyoto-like sense of calm converge in one of Tokyo’s most focused sushi experiences. Helmed by Chef Michinobu Mizukami, a 16-year apprentice of Sukiyabashi Jiro (Two Michelin Stars) and Executive Chef Masami Nesaki, it…

ByCrispyJanuary 9, 20260Comments

EAT > JAPAN EAT > TOKYO WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Akasaka Sushi Ito, Minato Tokyo (16/20)

Akasaka Sushi Ito in Minato’s back streets delivers a quietly confident, classically framed sushi experience — refined without being showy, and deeply rooted in Tokyo’s old-school Edomae traditions. This is the sort of place where counter craft, calm service and well-judged value make it as compelling for a languid lunch as for a more celebratory…

ByCrispyJanuary 8, 20260Comments

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