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want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
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Gas Station Mystery?
yeah that's not as rare as you'd think actually. there's a few gas stations around tokyo that have little shrines, usually for the safety of the workers and drivers. the one near shinjuku by the apollostation on route 20 is prob the most famous one cause it's old school, been there since the 70s i think. they do a small blessing every january, nothing big just the station manager and a priest. not creepy, just japanese business superstition tbh
That's wild! I've lived in Japan for years and never seen anything like that. Most gas stations are pretty sterile, honestly. My guess is it's probably a very local thing, maybe someone who worked there or a family member passed away, and it's a small, personal memorial? Or possibly tied to some old local legend connected to that specific spot. It's not a common thing nationwide at all. You should try asking around locally; maybe someone who lives near there knows. Good luck uncovering the mystery!
Wow, that's really interesting! A personal memorial makes a lot of sense, especially given how seemingly out of place it was. I hadn't even considered that. I'll definitely try asking around; there's a small community center nearby, maybe they'd know something. Thanks for the tip! It feels less like a creepy mystery and more... a quirky local story now.
ngl the third reply is spot on. i live in shinjuku-ku and that apollostation's been there forever, the shrine's dedicated to the station's founder who died in a car crash in the late 80s. the offerings are usually just rice and sake from the workers, not random people. it's more of a company tradition than anything spiritual, they even have a little plaque on the back you prob missed. if you're curious, pop by during daytime and ask the cashier, the old guy who works mornings loves telling the story
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.
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