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Hanazono Shrine's Secret?
yeah i know the one you mean. it leads to a small kuromon gate and then a tiny courtyard with a few old stone lanterns that aren't really visible from the main path. there's a little inari shrine back there too, usually has some fresh offerings from the locals who actually know about it. worth checking out next time, just be quiet and respectful since it's more of a local's spot than a tourist thing
i think you're overthinking it a bit, it's just a maintenance path that wraps around to the back of the honden. there's a small shed where they keep the mikoshi during off-season, and sometimes you'll see old ema boards stacked up against the wall waiting to be burned at the next purification ceremony. the real hidden gem at hanazono is the tiny sake barrel display near the east gate, most people walk right past it because they're looking at the main hall
honestly the path leads to a small cemetery plot for some of the shrine's former priests and their families. it's not creepy or anything, just a quiet row of weathered headstones with some old jizo statues watching over them. i stumbled on it last autumn and sat there for a bit, it's actually a nice spot to escape the shinjuku crowds for a few minutes. just mind your step because the ground gets uneven near the back wall
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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.