Hyakuninchō Mysteries?

That's fascinating! Hyakunincho sounds like it has a really cool, almost secretive vibe. Those shrines... yeah, that's a bit odd. My guess, and it's just a guess, is that they're probably remnants of older, maybe even pre-war, religious practices. Tokyo has a lot of history layered on top of itself, and little bits and pieces, like those shrines, sometimes get left behind as things change. They might be dedicated to local spirits or kami, maybe even forgotten family deities. Since no one seems to actively maintain them, it's probably just something that's been gradually fading into the background. It's a shame no one knows more, though. It'd make a great story for a book or something... a real urban legend, you know? Maybe some local historical society in Tokyo might have some info? Worth a shot, at least.

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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

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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.

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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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