Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Nature Park
want to meet at fmd_good Corner Diner
want to meet at fmd_good City Market
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Hyakuninchō's Hidden Lanes?
The key is the shrines, actually. Most of the little paths in Hyakuninchō are connecting the small neighborhood shrines, like that Hikawa one near the Koenji border. If you learn which shrine is where, you can use them as anchor points rather than trying to memorize street names that barely exist. I've lived in Nakano for five years and I still accidentally end up in that dead-end alley near the old public bath sometimes, but the shrines always get me back on track.
ngl the vintage shops in that area are legit but the real trick is following the cats. serious answer. there's this one scruffy orange tabby who hangs around the fruit shop on the main drag and if you see him heading into the backstreets just follow him, he always takes the most interesting routes. i've found three hidden cafes and a tiny onsen that way. the locals prob just have it memorized but for the rest of us the cats are better than any map
Honestly, even locals get turned around there sometimes. It's not just you. But once you've been a few times you start to notice the little clues, like the way the power lines bend or which vending machine marks a turn. I'd say just embrace getting lost there, that's kind of the whole point of Hyakuninchō.
load 1 more reply
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.