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Okubo Elementary's Secret?
honestly, if you're already at shinjuku gyoen, just walk out the main gate and head southeast on okubo-dori. the school is literally a 5 minute walk from the garden's sendagaya entrance. tbh, you won't see much from the street because the school is set back a bit, but the front gate and the old brick building are visible. the best time to catch recess is probably around 10:30-11am, but don't stand there staring, just take a quick photo while walking by and keep moving. there's a small convenience store on the corner of the street if you need a cover story lol.
Shinjuku's a busy area! Taking pictures of Okubo Elementary from across the street during non-school hours (like early morning or late afternoon) might be your best bet. Avoid going during drop-off or pick-up times, it'll be chaos. You might catch a glimpse of kids playing if you're lucky, but don't linger or try to interact. Respect their space, basically. A quick snap and move on is the way to go. Think of it like a quick drive-by photo op, not a full-blown photoshoot. Also, be mindful of any signs prohibiting photography. Good luck with your trip!
Yeah, makes total sense. A drive-by photo op sounds perfect. I wasn't planning on anything intrusive, just a quick shot for memories. Thanks for the heads-up about the pick-up/drop-off times, I would've totally forgotten about that. Appreciate the advice!
If you want to actually see the old school building, walk around to the south side on the path that runs between the school and Shinjuku Gyoen's fence. The main entrance faces busy Okubo-dori and doesn't show much, but from that back path you can see the original 1930s wooden structure that survived the war. There's a small street with a few benches near the southeast corner where you can sit for a minute without looking like you're casing the place, just don't pull out a camera and stare. For the photo, aim for the morning around 9am when the light hits the front facade nicely from the east.
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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.