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
Are there any neurodivergent communities or groups in Tokyo?
fwiw, there's also the "Tokyo Neurodivergent Meetup" on Facebook, it's smaller and quieter than the meetup.com ones. they do weekday afternoon hangs at a book cafe in Jimbocho, usually wednesdays around 3pm. great for people who find evenings too draining.
if you're into art or crafts, there's a monthly zine-making workshop at the Share Cafe in Koenji, not officially neurodivergent but a lot of the regulars are. you just sit and draw or cut stuff up, no talking required. it's a nice way to ease into things without the pressure of a "group".
one thing i'd add: the international crowd skews english-heavy, but the japanese groups often have a more formal structure. if you want zero structure, try the discord servers. there's one called "tokyo ND social" that does spontaneous meetups at parks when the weather's nice, like yoyogi or inokashira. you just show up with a blanket and snacks. no agenda, no signup.
i've found the best way is just showing up to the same cafe at the same time every week, even if the event isnt officially neurodivergent. like the third floor of the tsutaya in daikanyama on tuesdays, there's a little corner with power outlets and it's mostly quiet, lots of people working alone. i've made two friends there just by nodding at the same strangers for a month. it takes the pressure off the "group" thing.
if u want something more explicit, the "tokyo ND cafe" on the meetup app is new, they meet at a vegan place near shimokitazawa station called tree by the river, maybe 10 people max. the organizer is a software dev who keeps it super unstructured, no icebreakers, just "sit anywhere and do ur own thing". last time someone brought a switch and we played mario kart in the corner for an hour.
also check the bulletin board at the nakano broadway, second floor near the gacha machines. there's a corkboard with flyers for little hobby circles, and sometimes people post notes like "ADHD friendly study group, message me". it's hit or miss but i've seen some real gems there that never make it online. the community is more scattered than it should be, but if u keep poking at the edges, u'll find ur people.
the "adhd japan" subreddit is actually pretty active even though it's small, and they do a semi-regular ramen meetup in ikebukuro. it's not officially organized, someone just posts a time and a shop and whoever shows up shows up. last one had like 6 people, all pretty chill, nobody forced to talk about anything.
if you're into quieter stuff, the "neurodivergent book club" on instagram does a monthly meet at the library in tokyo metropolitan building in shinjuku, they reserve a corner room. you don't have to read the book, you can just sit and listen. the organizer usually brings noise cancelling headphones for anyone who needs them, which i thought was a nice touch.
also, this might sound random, but the japanese autism society (日本自閉症協会) has a free drop-in space in takadanobaba every friday afternoon. it's not a support group, more like an open room with tea and puzzles. you can literally just sit there for an hour and say nothing. the staff are used to people coming and going without talking. it's a good low stakes way to be around other nd folks without the social pressure.
load 2 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.