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Yodobashi Dai 4's Secret?
It's real, but the pond is more of a koi pond that the PTA maintains, not some secret swimming hole. I'd suggest going on a Saturday afternoon when the school's closed but the neighborhood kids sometimes play in the park across the street. You can grab a coffee from the vending machines on Yodobashi-dori and just hang out on the bench near the main gate. From there you'll get a clear view of the climbing frames without looking like you're casing the place.
The playground is real, but it's more of a PTA project than a secret. The climbing frames were built by parents about 15 years ago, and the pond is actually a small bioswale that collects rainwater from the roof. If you want to see it without being weird, go on a Sunday around 10am when the community center next door has its monthly flea market. You'll blend right in with the families browsing the stalls, and you can get a clear look at the playground from the back fence of the market area. The school's east gate is usually open during that time too, so you can peek through the chain-link without stepping on school property.
honestly if u wanna see it just go on a sunday morning, like 7-8am, school's empty and the old folks are out walking their dogs around the block. the climbing frames face the street on the east side, u can see them fine from the sidewalk without even stepping onto school grounds. there's a little convenience store on yodobashi-dori, grab a coffee and just lean against the fence for a minute, nobody will bat an eye
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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.