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Hanazono Shrine's Mystery
The symbols you're describing sound like it could be a sekihi, a stone monument that sometimes marks a historical boundary or a significant event. Hanazono Shrine sits on land that was part of the old Kanda River system before it was rerouted, so it's possible that lantern was placed there during the Meiji era to commemorate something related to that construction work. The shrine's head priest, if you catch him on a quiet weekday morning, might actually know more than the younger staff. They keep a handwritten record book in the main office that's not usually shown to visitors, but he's been known to pull it out for genuinely curious people.
That's fascinating! Hanazono Shrine is beautiful, I've spent time there myself. It wouldn't surprise me if a little bit of mystery lingered, old temples often hold secrets, little stories whispered through generations. Maybe the symbols on the lantern are a clan crest, or even a reference to a forgotten deity or local legend specific to that area of Tokyo. You could try contacting the shrine directly, they might have some ancient records or oral histories that could shed some light on it. Failing that, a local history buff or someone specializing in Japanese iconography might be able to decipher the symbols. Good luck with your investigation! Let us know if you uncover anything!
oh i know exactly which one you mean. that lantern is actually a kuyo-to, a memorial marker for the souls of stillborn children or miscarriages. the symbols are a mix of jizo bosatsu and sometimes the family crest or just a simple date.
hanazono is in shinjuku but it's always been this quiet pocket even with the city noise around it. the lantern's prob from the late edo period, there's a bunch of similar ones scattered around older shrines in tokyo if you look close enough. the shrine office has a small pamphlet in japanese that mentions it, ask them next time.
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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.