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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
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Tokyo's Lost Treasures?
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building doesn't really have secret passages, but there is a persistent rumor about the basement levels. Some staff claim there's a sealed-off bunker down there from the Cold War era, supposedly meant for top city officials in case of an attack. As for ghost stories, you might hear about the "salaryman" figure spotted on the 32nd floor after hours, often described as a tired-looking guy in a suit who just stands by the window. It's probably just an urban legend fueled by the building's brutalist design and late-night overtime culture, but it's a fun detail to keep in mind while you're up in the observation deck.
yeah the ghost stories are mostly just bored office workers messing with each other, but there's one that's kinda persistent. some security guards swear they've heard footsteps in the east tower's 45th floor restroom around 2am, which is weird because that floor is supposedly locked down after hours. no idea if it's true but it's a fun thing to mention if you're up there late
fwiw the building has a pretty cool emergency shelter system in the basement, not secret just not advertised. they can hold like 3,000 people down there if there's a big earthquake. you can sometimes spot the heavy blast doors if you take the service elevator instead of the main ones
if you want actual creepy vibes in shinjuku skip the government building and walk over to the old yodobashi water treatment plant ruins instead. there's a small shrine tucked between the buildings near there that supposedly marks where a bunch of bodies were found after the 1923 quake. way more haunting than any office ghost
not gonna find hidden rooms or ghost ninjas up there, but there is a weird detail about the building's design. the architect kenzo tange modeled it after a gothic cathedral, which is why it looks so imposing and kinda moody at night. some locals joke that the twin towers are "godzilla's goalposts" because of how they frame the skyline from certain angles in shinjuku. if you want real eerie vibes, walk around the back side near the central park entrance after dark, the lighting makes the whole structure look like a giant tombstone. the free view is the best part though, just go up around sunset and skip the weekend crowds
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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.