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Can someone explain Denki baths?
I saw many other people enjoying this bath, and seeming to be nice and relaxed. I don't get it. Besides being taught growing up that water and electricity should never be mixed, this is still beyond bizarre to me. It took me quite awhile to realize that it was an electric bath due to there being no English or electricity symbols on the signs. How do people stand these things, and why do they exist?
honestly your kidneys thing is prob from tensing up, the current hits differently when your muscles are clenched. i've seen people describe it as "pins and needles" but it's more like a low frequency buzz that feels kinda good once you relax into it. the denki buro at my local in Nishi-Nippori has a sign showing the voltage and it's only like 10-15 volts, way less than a taser or anything dangerous.
the reason they exist is mostly therapeutic, some older japanese folks swear by it for joint pain and circulation. i've heard the sensation mimics what acupuncture feels like but over a larger area. if you ever give it another shot, try going in after you've been in the regular bath for like 5 minutes and keep your arms crossed or resting on the edge, that seems to help with the kidney shock feeling
I've heard this reaction before and it's pretty common with first-timers. The sensation depends a lot on how much you're grounding yourself through contact with the tub edge or the floor. If you're sitting on the rim with your feet dangling in, that creates a stronger circuit through your lower body than if you're fully submerged and floating a bit. At my sento in Nakano, the regulars all sit cross-legged on the bottom of the bath to minimize the pathway through any single body part. The kidney jolt is basically the current finding the shortest route through your core, so getting your whole body in the water distributes it more evenly.
The electrodes are usually built into the tile walls, so the current gets more diffuse the further you are from them. At my sento in Koenji, the sweet spot is dead center of the bath, barely moving. If you go in and flinch or shift around a lot, you're changing how your body breaks the circuit and that's when you get those sharp jolts. Most people who enjoy it have figured out that still, slow breathing and minimal movement make it feel more like a tingly warmth than an attack on your kidneys.
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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.