Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
How rainy really is Tokyo?
Portland drizzle is its own thing, but Tokyo's rain hits differently. You get the concentrated tsuyu season in June where it's humid and steady for weeks, then typhoons in August and September that dump inches in a few hours. Winters here are nothing like Portland's gray slog, they're mostly clear and dry with that chill that bites through your jacket if you're not layered up. If you're nostalgic for Hachioji specifically, that western side of Tokyo gets noticeably more rain than central wards, the mountains push a lot of moisture your old way.
honestly the difference between portland and tokyo rain is all about rhythm not volume. portland's drizzle is a constant low hum that never really stops, tokyo's rain comes in waves, you'll get tsuyu in june where it's muggy and wet for two weeks straight then it just stops. august and september bring the typhoons which are intense but they pass fast, like 3 hours of chaos then the sun comes out and everything steams dry. winters here are genuinely crisp and bright, december and january average like 5-6 rainy days total, you'll get plenty of those perfect cold blue sky days that portland never gives you. if you're nostalgic for hachioji specifically, that area gets about 1600mm of rain annually versus central tokyo's 1500mm, not a huge gap but it feels wetter because the mountains trap the clouds longer in the morning
hachioji's basically a different climate from central tokyo tbh, that western edge catches way more rain from the mountains. i've done both portland and tokyo winters and tokyo's are way more bearable, you get actual sunny days in december and january, not that constant grey lid. if you're chasing those childhood vibes, come back during tsuyu in june, the whole city gets that same soft mist you probably remember from hachioji mornings
load 3 more replies
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.