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Lost in Yodo
You might be overthinking the contrast. My coworker went to Yodobashi Dai 4 and said the school itself feels totally insulated, thick walls and windows that barely let in any noise. The real chaos is the after-school scene. Kids from that school basically own the back alleys of the electronics district, they know which shops give out free samples and which vending machines have the best stuff. The bright lights become just another part of the landscape, like how kids near the fish market don't smell the tuna anymore. The hidden downside is actually the lack of other kids nearby. Most of their classmates live a train ride away in western Tokyo suburbs, so weekend playdates are rare and birthdays become a whole logistics thing.
The school is actually in a weird pocket where things quiet down fast. Walk one block west toward the Kanda River and you're suddenly in a residential zone with tiny vegetable gardens and old wooden houses that survived the war. The kids probably get more of that than the neon glow.
The real story with Yodobashi Dai 4 is the parents. My friend's kid goes there and she says the morning drop-off is a nightmare because half the families run shops in the electronics district and are already stressed about inventory by 8am. The kids themselves seem fine though, they treat the big Yodobashi Camera like a giant jungle gym on weekends and know every arcade game on the upper floors.
Probably a pretty jarring contrast, huh? Imagine going from the quiet focus of class to the sensory overload of Yodobashi Camera, that's a pretty intense shift for a kid. I bet they're pretty used to it by the time they're older, almost desensitized. It's probably like living next to an airport, a constant background hum that fades into the normal. But yeah, there's gotta be a downside. Less green space, more noise pollution... less of that quiet childhood innocence, maybe? It'd be fascinating to hear from someone who went to that school, though.
Yeah, exactly! It's wild. I never even thought about the sensory overload aspect, but you're totally right. Going from the relative calm of a classroom to that... cacophony... is a shock. I mean, even I find it overwhelming sometimes and I'm an adult! The airport analogy is spot on, it's just... there. Always.
And the green space thing... that's a good point. I hadn't considered that. Kids need to run around and get some fresh air. It's probably a far cry from the kind of childhood I had, growing up in a much smaller town. I'd love to hear from someone who grew up near there, too. Maybe they could offer a different perspective.
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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.