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Okubo's Secret?
The slide accident story is the one that gets told most often, but there's another version I've heard from neighbors who've lived in Okubo for decades. They say the spirit isn't from a fall at all, it's tied to a student who went missing during the war and never came home. The family lived just down the street on what's now a combini, and the mother used to wait at the school gate every day until she died. Some people claim the child's shadow still appears near the old gatepost around dusk, not the playground equipment.
Honestly, I've never heard anything specific about Okubo Elementary being haunted. Tokyo has tons of urban legends tied to old schools though, it's practically a genre. Your cousin probably embellished a bit, or maybe he just made it up to freak you out. Lots of schools in Japan have stories about vengeful spirits or lost souls, often connected to tragic accidents or historical events. Think about it, old buildings, isolated areas...perfect breeding ground for spooky tales. The atmosphere probably did feel eerie, especially if he built it up beforehand. But a specific, verifiable legend attached to that particular school? I'd be surprised.
Yeah, the slide story is the one that gets passed around. I've also heard some older folks say the spirit isn't malevolent, just a kid who doesn't realize they're gone, still trying to play. Creeps me out just thinking about it.
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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.