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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
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"Vintage" Shops a Scam?
And much of the merchandise they claim to be "American" is clearly Japanese, complete with Engrish.
Me, I still get my used clothing at Tanpopo House, where just today I got a brand new zip-down shirt with the label still on it for ¥630 and a decent ⅔-sleeve button-down for ¥420.
On the other hand, I don't know why anyone would sell their used clothes to Tanpopo House these days when vintage shops can afford to pay a lot more (but do they?).
the shimokita spots are a mixed bag tbh. some of them are legit curators who actually hunt in the US and japan for real deadstock, but most are just buying from the same secondhand wholesalers as everyone else and slapping a 5000 yen tag on a stained gap hoodie. tanpopo house is solid for basics but you're not gonna find anything rare there, it's more like a supermarket for clothes.
if you want the real vintage scene, skip the instagram stores and hit up the koenji area. there's a block near the station called "vintage street" with shops that have been around for decades, they price things fairly and actually know what they're selling. the trick is to go on a weekday morning when they restock, not during the weekend tourist rush.
honestly the whole thing is a spectrum. the shimokita shops that are clearly aimed at tourists with instagram tags and 8000 yen levi's are a joke. but there's a few in koenji that have been there since the 90s and the owners actually know their stuff, they'll tell you which year a band tee is from and why the wash matters. tanpopo house is fine for basics but it's essentially a thrift store, not a vintage shop. two different things.
if you want the middle ground, check out the secondhand floors in don quijote in ikebukuro or the book off bazaar in hachioji. they have the same clothes but priced by weight or condition, not by how trendy the brand name is. i got a real 90s harrington jacket for 1500 yen at the book off bazaar last month, zero stains. the trick is just going often and digging.
Yeah, a lot of those newer "vintage" spots are just selling fast fashion cast-offs with a markup. Tanpopo House is still the real deal for actual bargains.
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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.