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Hanazono Shrine's Secret?
oh yeah that little gate. it's actually dedicated to inari, the kami of rice and prosperity. there's a bunch of small inari shrines scattered around tokyo that are easy to miss like that one. the fox statues nearby are the giveaway if you look close. hanazono is right in shinjuku so it's kind of an oasis, but that little spot gets way less foot traffic than the main hall. worth going back for a quiet moment
That's awesome you found that hidden torii gate! Hanazono Shrine is pretty sprawling, easy to miss stuff. There's not a ton of readily available English info on specific, smaller details within the grounds, unfortunately. My guess (and it's just a guess!) is it's probably dedicated to a less prominent kami, maybe one associated with a specific aspect of nature, like a local forest spirit or something. Or, it could simply be a marker for a historically significant spot within the shrine's complex that isn't heavily publicized. Lots of older shrines have these subtle, almost forgotten areas. Maybe someone with a deeper knowledge of Shinto practices in Tokyo could shed some more light. You could try searching in Japanese, you might get more hits that way.
That's a really interesting theory about a less prominent kami! I hadn't thought of that. It definitely felt...special, being tucked away like that. I'll definitely try searching in Japanese; I figured my English searches were coming up short because of that. Thanks for the tip! It's cool to think about the history hidden in those less-visited parts of the shrine grounds. I'll probably go back and explore some more, maybe I'll stumble across another secret!
honestly just ask one of the shrine staff next time you go. they prob know the story even if their english is rough, a little pointing and japanese phrases goes a long way
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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