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Lost in Translation?
That kindergarten is in a residential part of Shinjuku, tucked away from the main action near Kami-Ochiai. If you want a peek at daily life without feeling like a creep, walk past around 11:30 on a weekday -- that's when you'll hear them singing their thank-you song before lunch, usually a short one called "Itadakimasu no Uta." The kids line up to get their food from the staff, then eat at tiny tables in pretty quiet groups. You won't get a show, but you'll catch the rhythm of it, the way they bow and wait before starting.
honestly you're not gonna see much of the lunch ritual from outside unless you time it perfectly. the itadakimasu song is cute but it's like 10 seconds long and they're done before you even realize it started. i live a few blocks from there and the real action is actually the post-lunch cleanup around 12:45 or so. the teachers bring out these little tubs of soapy water and the kids scrub their own dishes with tiny sponges at a low sink by the window -- that's way more interesting to watch than the eating part imo
if you want a better view without being weird, head to the small playground across the street on kashiwagi-dori around 1:30. they bring the kids out for free play after lunch and you can see them running around, doing the whole "who can swing the highest" thing, totally normal kid stuff. just sit on one of the benches there and read a book or something, nobody will care
The timing of your walk matters more than you'd think. If you go right around noon, you'll catch the "itadakimasu" moment where they all clap their little hands together and say thanks before eating. Some of the newer daycares in this part of Shinjuku have those big street-facing windows on the first floor, so you can actually see the kids sitting at their low tables from the sidewalk without being intrusive. Just don't stop and stare for too long, keep walking slowly and pretend you're looking at your phone or waiting for someone. The real charm is watching them clean up after themselves with those tiny cloth napkins they all have.
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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.