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Hanazono Shrine's Secret?
the sumo stable thing is legit, theres a plaque near the back wall that mentions it in japanese. but the real secret is the small shrine behind the main hall, the one covered in moss. its dedicated to a local firefighting brigade from the edo period, they apparently saved the whole block during a big fire and got their own little shrine as thanks. you can kinda see their old emblem carved into the base if you look close, it's a crossed hook and ladder
yeah the mossy one is the fire brigade one, my grandpa used to tell me stories about that. the crossed hook and ladder is called a "tobi" emblem if you wanna look it up. also a weird thing nobody mentions, theres a tiny well behind that shrine thats been sealed with a stone slab since the 80s, local rumor says it was used for something during the war and they just never reopened it
Those smaller shrines in the back are mostly dedicated to local Inari fox spirits and a few specific neighborhood kami. The one on the far left with the tiny stone torii is actually a Hachiman shrine, which is a bit unusual for that spot. If you want a real hidden gem, there's a small memorial stone near the back wall that marks where a famous Edo-era sumo stable used to train.
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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.