New Year 26 | FindPenguins

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Trip start
December 26, 2025
New Year 26 JakeOrJacob
LAX > JFK
Dec 26–27, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
First we go backwards. AA 10 red eye to JFK. We both slept moderately, but not enough to feel great. Flight was out of TBIT gate 159B at the end.
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New Year 26 JakeOrJacob
JFK > HKG
Dec 27–28, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 28 °F
We landed at JFK with plenty of fresh snow on the ground. We had a long layover, so first we headed over to the TWA hotel to use the gym.
With a fresh pump, we ventured back to Terminal 8 and headed to the SoHo Lounge. Most of the terminal boutiques are under renovation so no shopping to be had.

We watched as one AA 787 de-icing process nearly took 50 mins and disrupted operations for at least 4 other flights. It was done in a bad spot. Our flight changed gates because of this, and we also had a 30 min de-icing.

When we finally boarded, we had plenty of Krug available before takeoff. Then we settled in for 15 hours. Caviar service, dinner, movie, sleep, another movie. Tom had a burger, he claims it to be the best burger ever. I had a quesadilla, decidedly not the best.

We landed in Hong Kong with only a small delay.Read more
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New Year 26 JakeOrJacob
HK 1NO
Dec 28–29, 2025 in Hong Kong ⋅ 🌙 61 °F
Hong Kong we do you so wrong every time. One night only. This time we took to The Peninsula hotel. An Iconic and HK landmark checked off the list. I’d stay again actually, the place is posh, it was replete with multiple live music venues and exquisite holiday decor.

We had a night cap at one of the many cocktail lounges. Then one melatonin in; we largely avoided any major jet lag on this arrival.

In the morning, we had breakfast at the lovely buffet. Then we hit the gym before heading out to walk around the waterfront and malls.

We bumped into our fellow first class travelers for the 4th time as we returned to hotel.Read more
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New Year 26 JakeOrJacob
HKG >HND
December 29, 2025 in Hong Kong ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
We checked out and taxied to the the airport where we trudged all the way to the fancy lounge by gate 63. At least they had a special chef’s tasting menu to make it worth it. The even served a crazy 5 alcohol cocktail called a Tokyo Ice Tea. Buzzed quickly.

After a good meal, we marched back almost a mile to our gate area. Side note: my backpack is too heavy.

We flew JAL business. I was 2K, Tom was in 1K. It was a quick 3hr Flight.Read more
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New Year 26 JakeOrJacob
Tokio Ginza
December 30, 2025 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 48 °F
We stayed again at the Hyatt Centric in Ginza. It’s really such a cool and well located hotel. I’ve written extensively about the property in another post from another trip. I’ll figure out how to link these eventually.

Anyway, we finally made it to Japan and needed a good night sleep. We got it. Upon waking, I went to the hotel gym, Tom went to Gold’s. We ate at the always amazing breakfast buffet. Then we walked thru the park to get a coffee before taking a cab over to catch the noon Shinkansen to Yakamata.

We bought plenty of food and sake for the train. We arrived after 3hrs full and happy. It was pouring rain, but as we headed up the hill it was turning to snow.Read more
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New Year 26 JakeOrJacob
Zao Night ichi
December 30, 2025 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 34 °F
Tom picked Zao, a small resort town, frequented mostly by Japanese tourists to do our first Japow Snow experience and I couldn’t be more excited. We arrived at the onsen hotel as the sun was setting; so we ventured out to grab a bite, stock up on snacks, and take in the extremely sulphuric smell of the hot springs flowing thru the town.

There were several public baths in town but we just stayed with our hotel onsen. The waters were around 102 Fahrenheit if I had to guess. They had an outdoor area and a large indoor showering and bath area.

Everything here is old school Japanese.Read more
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New Year 26 JakeOrJacob
Zao Skiing
Dec 31–Jan 2, 2026 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 27 °F
We woke up on the last day of the year at about 5 a.m. which was perfect for us. We went back to the baths to soak before having breakfast promptly at 7. Most of the guests used the buffet and sat in the dining room barefoot. It’s customary on tatami mats in Japan. We kept our socks on. By 8 we were standing in line at the best ski rental shop in town. At 9 we had our gear on, bought our lift tickets, and were among the first to hit slopes.

We hit our first run of the season and by the second hill we were ready to go wild. The ski map at Zao is wildly out of proportion but we figured it out; eventually. The resort was a perfect base for a start of the season ski trip. After a good morning we were hungry, and I spotted a place that I wanted to check out. It looked like a Bavarian or Swiss chalet, but it was nestled up in the mountain with no roads to it, so I was intrigued.

Once we went inside we knew we hit the jackpot. A dark wooden room with fireplaces and tables for dining were crowded with 99% Japanese patrons. We later found out that this mid-century ski lodge served the best food on the mountain; so we went back the next day to dine at the same spot. Of course we ordered the most Japanese things ever, but all the locals were having hamburgers and pancakes. I made some people laugh by calling it out.

I will have a more detailed review of Zao in another medium eventually. So be on the lookout for that. (Masu)

Both days we skied till our bodies could take no more. We finished and started the 25/26 year with skiing.

We would love to go back to this place someday and explore even more, but for a first time, this outing was perfect.Read more
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New Year 26 JakeOrJacob
Back to TKO
January 2 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 21 °F
After breakfast we headed back to Yamagata to catch the 3hr Shinkansen train to Tokyo. Tom bought the biggest department store sushi tray ever.

Upon arriving we stayed in Ginza to do some shopping. Tom splurged on a pair of nice shoes he had been craving. Then we called a taxi and headed to our hotel for the night.Read more
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New Year 26 JakeOrJacob
Our Favorite Hotel
January 2 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F
We have stayed at the Park Hyatt Tokyo many times, but this time was our first after they remodeled for the first time. We were worried that they would change too much, but after arriving it was almost like they didn’t change a thing. That’s fine because the design was already timeless.

The first evening we went to check out the many spaces at the hotel to take it all in. We invited our friend Elijah to join us for dinner at the Japanese restaurant on the 40th floor. There was a snowstorm outside. So the view was obscured, but it passed by the time we were finished. We then went up to the New York Bar on the 51st floor for a nightcap and the view was amazing.Read more
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Trip end
January 5, 2026