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Places to go on Culture Day?
So is there any MUST-GO pla… Hello everyone. I've been going to class and baito for the last few months and never had a proper day off. Tomorrow would probably be one of my last day off of the year :(
So is there any MUST-GO place in Tokyo for photography that won't break the bank? Idealistically in Ikebukuro but I am open to any suggestion (museum, park, restaurant, random neighbourhood, literally anything)
honestly if you're near Ikebukuro and want good photo spots without spending much, head to the West side past the station toward Tobu's back exit. there's this quiet little park called Minami-Ikebukuro Park that barely anyone knows about, has a small pond and some older trees that catch nice light. keep walking toward Mejiro and you'll hit a stretch of old-school shotengai with crumbling signage and actual working-class vibes, way better than the polished stuff in Harajuku.
if u dont mind a short train ride, Sugamo's Jizo-dori is like a time capsule full of grandmas and random street shrines, really good for candid shots. the whole street is free to walk and theres a temple at the end that does small ceremonies on public holidays. just avoid the main intersection near the station, it gets packed with tour buses on culture day.
ngl culture day is actually one of the best days to hit up yanaka. it's a bit of a ride from ikebukuro but the yanaka ginza shotengai stays pretty chill since most tourists dont know it's a holiday. the cemetery there is massive and has these incredible ginkgo trees that drop yellow leaves everywhere right now, makes the whole ground look like gold
if u want something closer, the otsuka area just one stop from ikebukuro has this elevated pedestrian walkway that runs along the yamanote tracks. u can stand right above the trains and get those long exposure shots of the lights streaking through the station. there's a tiny coffee stand called cafe bach that does 300 yen drip coffee and the owner lets u hang out on his second floor window seat that frames the train lines perfectly
If you're up for a short walk from Ikebukuro, the area around Zoshigaya has some good hidden spots. The Zoshigaya Cemetery might sound morbid but it's actually a peaceful green space with some really old trees and mossy stone paths that look great in photos, especially if the afternoon light filters through. Just past that there's a tiny shrine called Koyasu Tenmangu that almost no tourists know about, and the wooden torii gate has this nice worn texture that's hard to find in the city center.
For something completely different, take the Fukutoshin line one stop to Kanamecho and walk toward the river. There's a stretch along the Shingashi River where old apartment buildings and warehouses sit right on the water, and you can catch reflections of the skyline in the canal. The area has a weird industrial charm that most people miss since they stay around Sunshine City.
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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.