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Tokyo Book Clubs?
I recently moved here and after spending the last three months getting settled into my new apartment and job I'm hoping to start going out and meeting new people here. I was a pretty goo… Hi everyone!
I recently moved here and after spending the last three months getting settled into my new apartment and job I'm hoping to start going out and meeting new people here. I was a pretty good reader at home but since moving here I haven't had much motivation to read since I'm usually pretty tired after work. I was wondering if anyone would know of any good book clubs (English speaking) in the Tokyo area (around Shibuya or thereabouts)?
check out tokyo international book club on meetup, they rotate cafes around shibuya and daikanyama. if you want something smaller there's a group that meets at the maruzen in shinjuku on sunday afternoons, more casual and they pick english paperbacks from the store. both are pretty low pressure, just show up whenever you've finished the book
The Tokyo English Book Club meets at the Book Tower in Roppongi on the first Saturday of each month. They focus on contemporary fiction and usually have around 15 people show up. You can find them on Facebook, just search the name. It's a good mix of long term expats and newer arrivals like yourself.
honestly if you're near shibuya check out the book bar at the back of village vanguard in udagawacho. it's not a formal club but there's a little shelf where people leave recommendations and sometimes folks just start talking to each other about what they're reading. tuesdays are quieter, thursday evenings usually have a few regulars hanging around with their kindles. bring cash, they only take cards if you spend over 2000 yen
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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.