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Anyone know any good carpenters in Tokyo?
Thank you I have a set of old sword fittings and would like a wooden placeholder blade (刀繋ぎ) made for it. Anyone have some recommendations?
Thank you
If you're open to a bit of a trip, there's a small workshop in Asakusa, near the Sensoji temple, that does custom woodwork for traditional crafts. The master there, a guy named Tanaka, mainly makes display stands and boxes for collectors, but he's taken on tsunagi commissions before. He's a bit particular, so bring the fittings in person and let him see the habaki, he'll tell you straight if it's doable. I paid 12k for a plain keyaki one last year, took about two weeks. Also, check the monthly antique fair at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center in Ryogoku, there's a dealer there who runs a side business in shirasaya, he's usually set up on the second floor near the back.
honestly ur best bet is asking around at antique shops in kanda or jinbocho, they deal with fittings all the time and usually know a woodworker or two. there's a guy near kanda myoji shrine who does restoration work, small shop with no sign, he made a saya for me once, took about 3 weeks and cost 8k yen. if u want it fast, try the tosogu dealers at the weekend flea market in oi racecourse, but quality's hit or miss there tbh.
the kanda rec is solid but if u want someone who actually specializes in shirasaya and not just general repair, try hashimoto koubou out in ota ward. old guy, takes his time, but he's done work for a few collectors i know. expect 2-4 weeks and around 15k yen for a plain one, more if u want it fitted tight to the habaki. he's near kamata station, 5 min walk from the east exit. also worth hitting up the monthly sword show at tokyo big sight, the dealers there can point u to their own guys, sometimes they'll even do it on the spot if it's simple.
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.
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