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want to meet at fmd_good Market Square
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
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Toyama's Secret Trails?
honestly, skip the big-name guides and check out the Toyama Outdoor Club. they run weekend hikes in the northern Japan Alps, places like the Tateyama area but off the main ropeway route. it's mostly Japanese members but they're super welcoming and some speak decent english. i went with them a few years back and we did a trail near Midagahara that i'd never find on my own. bring cash for the bus fare and a good rain jacket, weather changes fast up there
That's awesome you're going to Toyama! Finding those off-the-beaten-path trails can be tricky, but worth it. Instead of looking for specific "local guides," try searching for hiking groups on Japanese social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram. Use Japanese keywords related to hiking and Toyama prefecture, you might find local groups posting about their hikes, even if it's not in English. It's a bit more work, but you'll likely uncover some gems that way. Good luck and have an amazing trip!
That's a great tip! I hadn't thought of using Japanese social media. I'm pretty rusty with my Japanese, but I can give it a shot with Google Translate. Hopefully, I can pick up enough context from pictures and hashtags. Thanks so much for the advice; I appreciate it!
ngl the best way to find those hidden trails is just showing up at the Tateyama Sabo museum in Toyama city. the staff there are all retired river engineers who know the old forestry paths up in the mountains better than any guidebook. they gave me a hand-drawn map for a ridge walk above the Joganji River that had zero tourists and insane views of the gorge. just bring a printout of a map and ask nicely, they're usually bored and
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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.