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want to meet at fmd_good Glaze
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Runners of Tokyo, where do I move?! ππ»ββοΈββ‘οΈππ»ββοΈββ‘οΈ
Our current thoughts are Kichijoji or Futakotamagawa. An apartment also came up east of Shinagawa recently which I never would have gone for, but when I looked around on Google Maps, there did seem to be some nice waterside paths.
Other options would be somewhere near Komazawa Park (although it looks quite concrete) or Kinuta Park (which looks nice and green)? Or maybe something up north for access to Arakawa? Tbh it needs to be a proper river. I used to live in Gotanda and the Meguro river didn't cut it.
We work hybrid and go in about twice a week (nihonbashi/tamachi).
Any tips, or resources much appreciated!
if you're open to a wildcard, nakameguro area around the meguro river might actually work if you go further upstream past yutenji. that stretch is way greener than the gotanda section and you can run all the way to komazawa park on paths that don't feel like a sidewalk. the restaurants around nakameguro station are solid too, lots of small places that aren't chains. for your partner, nakameguro to nihonbashi is like 20 min on the hibiya line direct, and tamachi is easy from there
but honestly, for actual river running that feels like a river, i'd say look at the area around tamagawa station itself, not just futako. the path there is less crowded than futako and you're closer to the water. there's a decent izakaya street near the station and the train to shibuya is same line just a few stops. cheaper rent too since everyone wants to be right at futako station
futakotamagawa is honestly your best bet for balancing both. the tamagawa river path is proper long and well maintained, way better than meguro river for running. you can go 10k+ easy without crossing traffic. for your partner, the den-en-toshi line is fast to shibuya and from there to nihonbashi/tamachi isn't painful. kichijoji is good too but inokashira park gets crowded on weekends and the loop is only like 1.5k. komazawa park is fine for intervals but you're right it's mostly concrete and field turf, not real nature. kinuta park is underrated for running, quieter and greener than komazawa, but getting to restaurants means going toward futako or chitose-karasuyama. another option nobody mentioned is oimachi area. you'd get the meguro river path (i know you said no but the stretch by shinagawa prince to oi racecourse is actually decent and wider) and easy access to tamachi for your partner. plus oimachi itself has solid food options and is less crowded than kichijoji
oimachi is actually worth a second look, the path from shinagawa prince down to the racecourse is legit for running even if meguro river is usually a no-go. it's wide enough you don't feel cramped and the water is more open there. for your partner, tamachi is one stop on the keikyu line so that commute is basically nothing
if you want proper river running though, futako is hard to beat. the tamagawa path is 20k+ if you want it and it actually feels like a river not a drainage ditch. the den-en-toshi line to shibuya then connecting to nihonbashi/tamachi is fine but not as direct as oimachi for tamachi specifically
one thing nobody mentioned yet is omori area. it's between oimachi and kamata, has the same river access but quieter and cheaper than futako. there's a good stretch of restaurants along the shopping street near the station and the running path is less crowded than futako on weekends
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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.