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Hanazono Shrine's Secret?
That's awesome you noticed that! Hanazono Shrine is packed with history, so a unique lantern isn't surprising. It's probably not a widely known story; many shrines have little pockets of local lore that aren't documented. You could try contacting the shrine directly, sometimes they have a small office or priest who might know. Failing that, a local history buff or researcher focusing on Shinjuku's history might be a good bet. The area's been around for centuries, so someone's bound to have some old stories tucked away. Good luck with your search! Let us know if you find anything!
Wow, thanks! That's really helpful advice. I hadn't thought about contacting the shrine itself, that's a great starting point. And yeah, I figured it was probably something pretty local. Shinjuku's history is so vast, it's almost overwhelming to think about where to even begin digging. I'll definitely update everyone if I uncover anything interesting! Fingers crossed!
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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