Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Forno Centrale
want to meet at fmd_good Funland
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Which temple is good to Celebrate Hanamatsuri?
4/8 is Hanamatsuri, Buddha's Birthday.
Which temple in Tokyo is best for celebrating this? I went to Sensoji last year, but they didn't have the white elephant pulled by the kids from t… Hi everyone,
4/8 is Hanamatsuri, Buddha's Birthday.
Which temple in Tokyo is best for celebrating this? I went to Sensoji last year, but they didn't have the white elephant pulled by the kids from the nearby kindergarten (anymore?), because of the pandemic probably.
I found Honganji having a big celebration ( はなまつり開催のお知らせ 2024(令和6)年4月7日(日) | 築地本願寺 (tsukijihongwanji.jp)) , but that's on 4/7 so I'm not sure if I can make it.
If you have any recommendations which temple in Tokyo Area to visit for Hanamatsuri I'd be very thankful!
if you're up for a bit of a train ride, Tsukiji Honganji is actually worth checking on the 7th even if you think you can't make it. the main ceremony runs from morning till late afternoon, so if you can swing by even for an hour it's still a good experience. they do the full hanamido setup with the flower hall and you can pour amacha, plus the building itself is this wild indo-saracenic style that's totally different from your standard temple
another one nobody's mentioned yet is Komyoji in Minowa. it's a small nichiren temple that does a really intimate hanamatsuri on the 8th. no elephant parade or big crowds, just a few old ladies from the neighborhood making amacha from their own recipe and offering it to anyone who shows up. the priest usually gives a short talk about buddha's life too, which i found interesting. it's like 10 min walk from minowa station on the hibiya line
another option is eifukuji in nakano, they do their hanamatsuri on the 8th itself around 11am. it's a nichiren temple so the ceremony is a bit different with chanting but they still have the flower altar and kids bringing offerings. takes about 10 min walk from nakano station on the chuo line, and the temple grounds have this really old ginkgo tree that's worth seeing. plus you can grab lunch at the nakano broadway food court after, it's not fancy but the takoyaki place there is solid
since you already did Sensoji, try Gotokuji in Setagaya. they have a quiet morning ceremony on 4/8 around 9am, not the big parade vibe but they pour amazake and the little kids from the neighborhood preschool do a short walk with the flower-decorated elephant. the temple grounds are small so you're right there in the action
also the hanamizucha they serve is legit, they make it with local hojicha instead of the standard stuff. plus you can see the famous maneki-neko graveyard while you're there since that's where the legend started. just get there early, the parking lot fills up fast
load 10 more replies
Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.