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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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Toyama's Best Kept Secret?
honestly the biggest danger on toyama trails isn't even the steep parts, it's the wet roots and mossy rocks on the flatter sections. people get complacent there and eat shit. grab a pair of those cheap slip-on crampons from a donki in toyama station, they're like 1500 yen and fit over any shoe. also worth noting the kurobe gorge trail has those narrow metal catwalks bolted to cliffs, if heights mess with ur balance just stick to the lower paths near unazuki onsen instead
Wear proper hiking boots, not your sneakers. Seriously. And trekking poles are your friend. Toyama's trails aren't messing around. Check the weather forecast before you go, rain makes things exponentially more slippery. Stick to well-marked trails; don't be a hero and try to blaze your own path. And if a section looks sketchy...turn back. Your trip is way more important than conquering some obscure mountain viewpoint. A twisted ankle in the middle of nowhere isn't fun. Have fun, but be smart about it!
The trails around Toyama are usually well maintained, but the real issue is the loose gravel on the switchbacks near Murodo. You'd be surprised how fast you can lose your footing on that stuff. I'd recommend taking a short detour on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route's easier boardwalk sections first to get a feel for the terrain. Also, a pair of lightweight gaiters will keep small rocks out of your shoes and save you from that annoying stop-and-empty routine every ten minutes.
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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