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want to meet at fmd_good Glaze
want to meet at fmd_good Adventure Park
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Toyama's Best Kept Secret?
if you're talking about the one up past the gokayama area near the shirakawago border, that might be zenshoji. it's a soto zen temple that does a morning zazen session at like 6am, no english but they're super welcoming to anyone who shows up. the locals go for the osamefuda tradition where you leave a wooden plaque with your wish, not the usual ema you see everywhere. just bow when you enter the main hall and they'll figure out ur interested
That's awesome you're going to Toyama! Finding a temple off the beaten path like that is the best kind of travel. Unfortunately, I don't know the specifics of the temple's history or rituals, my Japanese is even rustier than yours, lol. But if your friend said it's special to locals, I'd bet a small donation at the temple might get you some insights from someone there. Maybe even strike up a conversation with a person who seems to be a regular; they often know the most interesting stories. Good luck, and have an amazing trip! I'm super jealous!
The temple you're describing might be Zuiryuji up in the foothills past Toyama Station. It's known for a fire-walking festival called hiwatari in early spring, where monks walk across burning coals while chanting. Locals bring their kids to have them blessed by the flames, it's not something most tourists know about. If you show up respectfully and stay quiet during the ceremony, they usually let visitors watch from a designated area. Just check the temple's small notice board near the entrance for the date, it changes slightly each year based on the lunar calendar.
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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