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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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is it cheap to live in Toyama Shinjuku?
What kind of place is this? whats the story behind it and, is it cheap to live there?
yeah those are the Toyama Apartments, built in the 60s for the olympics workforce. theyre def run down but the rent is crazy cheap for shinjuku, like 6-8万 for a 1K which is unheard of this close to the station. the trade off is paper thin walls and no elevator so if u get a 5th floor unit ur gonna hate life carrying groceries up. also theres a weird mix of old folks whove been there forever and young artists who like the gritty vibe
imo the real story is those buildings were part of a bigger plan to redevelop that whole area but it never really happened. there was talk in the 90s about turning it into a mixed-use complex with towers and shops but the bubble burst and they just left the danchi as is. the park itself used to be part of the yodobashi water supply facility so the land has restrictions on building height, which is why it's still low-rise there. if you want cheap you should also look at the private apartments on the other side of wakamatsu-kawada station, there's some older buildings from the 80s that go for 70-80k and no income limit bullshit
yeah those are the tokyo metropolitan housing complexes built in the 60s and 70s, they're called the shinjuku toyama danchi. the story is they were built for the massive population boom during the olympics era and they've just been left to age, not much renovation. rent there is genuinely cheap for shinjuku, like you can find a 1dk for 60-70k a month which is half what you'd pay in the main parts of shinjuku. the tradeoff is the buildings are old and thin walls are a thing, but the park right there and the convenience to wakamatsu-kawada station make it a solid deal if you don't mind the retro vibe
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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.