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Yodobashi Dai 4's Secret?
the school festival thing is real but it's not what ur friend remembers. japanese elementary schools do hold these autumn events called undokai or gakugeikai, but they're for parents and local residents, not tourists. yodobashi dai 4 still does a small one every november, think paper mache masks and a yakisoba stand run by the PTA, not fireworks. the legendary part was probably the old shinjuku ward festival that used to spill into that whole block, they'd close the streets and have these massive taiko drum circles. that died in the 90s after the building codes changed and the ward went all corporate. if u want the real nostalgic vibe, hit the yotsuya fire festival in january, it's been running for 400 years and it's a 15 minute walk from the school. the school itself will just look like a school, but the neighborhood around it has some killer old-school ramen spots if u wander west toward the yotsuya station side.
honestly, i've lived in this area for years and never heard of a legendary festival at yodobashi dai 4. it's a regular public elementary school, the kind with a tiny playground and a gate that locks at 6pm. your friend might be mixing it up with the shinjuku high school festival circuit, or maybe the old neighborhood bon odori they used to hold in the park across the street, but that one stopped around 2005 when the city took over the land for the new apartment towers. if you're chasing that vibe, check out the nakano children's festival in august instead, it's still got the food stalls and a proper fireworks show, just a 10 minute train ride away. the school itself won't have anything for visitors, though, so don't build your trip around it.
Your friend's probably thinking of the old Shinjuku ward festival, not the school itself. That thing was huge back in the day, took over the whole block with stalls and a big stage, but it got scaled way down around 2000 when they redeveloped the area. The school still does its own small undokai in October, but it's just parents and PTA, nothing you'd travel for. If you want that classic festival feel with the food and lights, head to the Yotsuya Fire Festival in January instead, it's been going forever and it's close
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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.