Whenever a new job starts, I make it a habit to escape Tokyo for a bit. This is a habit I've had since my days working on magazines; after an all-night blueprint proofread at the printing company, I always disappear somewhere for a few days.
With the web, things aren't as simple as with print media. Once something is uploaded, requests for corrections immediately follow. "Fashion Headline," which launched on Wednesday, December 5th, saw how it was running over the course of three days, and after leaving the editorial staff to take care of it, I took a weekend off for the first time in a while. Even though I took a weekend off, I still have to update the blog, so it's not always a complete rest—that's the challenge of being an editor working in online media.
It's a six-hour train ride from Tokyo. While I was enjoying a hearty evening meal of pine crab at a ryokan in Amino, Tango, snow began to fall steadily. This area gets a lot of snow every year, but this year it seems to have started a little earlier. The usual heavy snowfall is said to occur around Christmas. Sure enough, the scenery this morning was whiteout. There was a restaurant I really wanted to visit, so I took a taxi to Kumihama, about 15km away. Along the way, I spotted several cars loaded with surfboards in the snow. It's likely because Amino is a popular spot for winter surfers. Surfing on snow tires. My mind wandered to the vintage aloha print shirts from this spring's collaboration between White Mountaineering and Reyn Spooner. My destination was Reception Garden, run by a subsidiary of Boys, an importer of brands like French marine brand Orcival, known for its striped shirts, and British brand Sunspel. Hotel Holiday Home, often mentioned in "My Favorite Hideaway Hotel" features by women's magazine editors and fashion industry insiders, temporarily closed in October in preparation for its spring 2014 reopening, but this cafe restaurant remained open. When I arrived, the staff was clearing snow from the blizzard so that cars could reach the parking lot. Will customers actually come in such a heavy snowfall? Just as I was skeptical, the place was bustling at lunchtime. While Tokyo's urban functions would be paralyzed, people here came in their four-wheel drive vehicles to enjoy a holiday lunch.
Not only was the food delicious, but the smiles and service of the staff were also very pleasant. Now that I'm used to exchanging emails every day with just "w" emojis, I truly feel this way. Even though the hotel is closed, I honestly feel that it's worth the six-hour drive there just to see their smiling faces. On my way home after a glass of wine in the snow, I noticed that an electric blanket had been laid out in the house of the outdoor cat that jumped onto my shoulder.
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(Stores mentioned in this article)
【Reception Garden】
Address: 38-22 Kumihama-cho, Kyotango City
Opening hours: 11:30 to 21:00
Closed: Thursdays
