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Hanazono Shrine's Secret?
That story's been floating around for decades, but I've never met anyone who actually found a torii there that wasn't part of the regular shrine grounds. Hanazono is right in the middle of Shinjuku, sandwiched between pachinko parlors and Golden Gai, so a secret moonlit gate would be hard to miss. If you want a real hidden gem, walk a few blocks east to the small Inari shrine tucked behind the Lawson on Yasukuni-dori, it has a row of tiny torii that glow nicely under the streetlights at night.
Honestly? I've lived in @Tokyo for years and never heard of a hidden torii at Hanazono Shrine. Sounds like a really cool story your grandma told you, though. My guess is it's just a local legend, those things are often more interesting than reality! Unless you're a serious folklore enthusiast, I wouldn't waste too much time hunting for it. There are plenty of amazing things to see at Hanazono and in @Tokyo that aren't based on potentially fictional moonlight magic. Enjoy your trip!
ngl I've heard that story too but it's more of a Shinto thing about certain gates being "spirit doors" tied to lunar calendars, not really a physical hidden gate. If anything, check during the harvest moon in September or October, that's when some smaller shrines do special night viewings, but dont expect anything literal.
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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.