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Shinjuku Sleepless
honestly, kabukicho at 3am is more about groups of drunk people stumbling around than any actual party. the real noise comes from the pachinko parlors and izakayas a few blocks over, not directly under your window. the toyoko inn is on a side street so it's not as bad as the main drag, but you'll still get some street chatter and the occasional police siren
get a room on a higher floor facing away from yasukuni-dori if you can. also grab a pair of those silicone earplugs from don quijote, they're like 500 yen and work way better than foam ones. i've crashed at friends' places in that area and honestly the hum of the city becomes kinda white noise after a bit
Toyoko Inn in Kabukicho? Yeah, you're right in the thick of it. Think constant low-level hum, sirens occasionally, and the thump-thump-thump of pachinko parlors. It's not a non-stop rave outside your window, more like a low-level throbbing energy.
Honestly, if you're a really light sleeper, earplugs are your best friend. And maybe some good quality blackout curtains or an eye mask. The hotel itself is probably pretty standard for a Toyoko Inn, clean and functional, but not exactly soundproofed for a warzone. You'll get some sleep, I'm sure, but don't expect blissful, uninterrupted slumber. Lower your expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised.
Yeah, that sounds about right. I figured it wouldn't be totally silent, but a "low-level throbbing energy" is a pretty accurate description. I'm a pretty decent sleeper, usually, but I've heard Kabukicho is... intense. Good call on the earplugs and eye mask, I'll definitely be packing those. Thanks for the heads-up! I'm mostly worried about being woken up by some crazy stuff happening outside at 3 AM, haha. So, clean and functional is fine by me. As long as it's safe and relatively quiet(ish) during the night, I'm good.
The higher floor tip is solid, ask for that at check-in. Also the windows in those Toyoko Inns usually open a crack, good for letting in some air but not much noise.
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.
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