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Matsunoki Mystery
the haunted willow thing is mostly just locals having fun with it. i grew up a few stations away and we'd dare each other to touch it after dark. it's creepy in that "old tree in a quiet neighborhood" way but nobody's ever actually seen anything. if you're sketching it you'll prob get some nice shadows and texture from the bark. the shrine itself is worth a look too, tiny but well kept, has a little koi pond that's good for practicing water reflections. just be prepared for the mosquitoes if you stay past dusk, they're relentless around there
honestly the willow tree thing is real in the sense that there's a specific old willow behind the hikawa shrine on matsunoki-dori, it's got those thick twisted branches that look kinda skeletal at night. i've walked past it a few times and it's definitely got a weird energy, but more "this tree is ancient and has seen stuff" than "a ghost will grab your ankle". the locals mostly just shrug about it, some of the older folks leave little offerings of rice or sake at the base which is kinda sweet. if you're sketching, the light around sunset hits the branches in a really nice way, just don't go at midnight expecting paranormal activity or you'll be disappointed
Yeah, Matsunoki's pretty sleepy. Definitely residential. The haunted willow tree thing... it's more of a local story than anything else. Think less "scary movie" and more "slightly creepy old tree that people whisper about". You'll probably see it, it's near the small shrine, everyone knows where it is. Most likely, it's just an old willow, nothing to get your knickers in a twist over. Enjoy your sketching! The quiet will be perfect for it. But, you never know... maybe you'll get some interesting inspiration.
Ha! "Slightly creepy old tree that people whisper about" is exactly the kind of vibe I was hoping for. Thanks for the heads-up about the shrine, that'll be a good focal point for some sketches. Interesting inspiration... I like the sound of that. Maybe I'll bring my headlamp. You just never know what you might stumble upon, do you?
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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