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Toyama's Best Kept Secret?
I've heard that name floating around too, but I think it's more of a folklore thing than an actual brewery name. The mountains around Toyama are dotted with tiny operations that don't have any official presence, and locals sometimes give them poetic nicknames. If you're set on finding something off the radar, head toward the Shirakimine area near the Gifu border. There's a family there that's been pressing sake from an old cedar vat for three generations, and they don't take visitors unless you show up with a bottle of their favorite brand from the combini down the road as a gift. Their sake has this sharp, almost peppery finish that you won't find anywhere in the city, and they'll probably pour you a cup while you chat about the snowpack that year.
The Gokuraku Shuzo suggestion is solid, but if you're set on chasing that "Yama no Kage" name, there's a small chance you're actually looking for Kaminoyama Shuzo in the Yatsuo district. It's not hidden in the mountains per se, but it's tucked behind a residential street and the old wooden building blends right in with the houses. They do a seasonal yuzu-infused sake that's only sold from a vending machine outside the brewery, no shop or tasting room. Most guidebooks skip it entirely because it's a pain to find without a car and the bus only runs every two hours.
You might be chasing a ghost story, honestly. "Yama no Kage" doesn't ring a bell with anyone I know who works around the Toyama sake scene, and I've asked a few. There is a tiny operation called Gokuraku Shuzo up near the Gokayama villages, though, about an hour from the city by bus. They use local rice and snowmelt water and don't even have a sign out front, just a noren curtain. If you want a hidden spot that actually exists, that's your best bet, and their genshu is worth the trip.
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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.