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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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Hanazono Shrine Mysteries?
You found the spot. That back torii is the oldest structure on the grounds, from the Edo period. There's a small stone marker near its base that most people walk right past, it's carved with a date from the 1600s. I'd recommend timing your next visit for a weekday morning around 7am when the shrine priest does the purification ritual. Watching him walk that exact path with the haraegushi changes how you see the space entirely.
That torii gate you're talking about is the one near the back corner, right by the small Inari shrine. I live in Shinjuku and walk through Hanazono almost daily, and I've noticed the air actually gets cooler as you pass through that specific gate, even in summer. There's a rumor among the older locals that the shrine sits on a ley line intersection, which might explain the buzzing sensation you felt. If you want to test it, bring a simple compass next time and watch the needle when you walk through.
so you found the back torii, that's the one that freaks everyone out. if you go on a sunday morning around 10am you'll catch the antique market setup, and that specific gate is right where sellers lay out old kimono and furniture. i've talked to a few of them and they always say they avoid setting up too close to it, something about their goods feeling off by midday. grab a roasted sweet potato from the cart near the east entrance while you're there, it helps ground you after messing with that gate's energy
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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.