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Where to get new and used English books?
I've been buying used books from mercari but want to see if there are any offline stores too.
Thanks!
honestly if you're already on mercari you might like the physical version of that vibe, check out the used book section at Village Vanguard in Shibuya or Kichijoji. they're more about curation than bulk so you'll find random interesting stuff, not just bestsellers. also for new books, the Tokyo American Club has a small library that's open to non-members sometimes, but their book sales twice a year are where locals dump english paperbacks for like 100 yen each
For used English books, Book Off is your best bet. Their larger locations like the one in Shimokitazawa or the Shinjuku branch on Yasukuni-dori have solid English literature sections, though the selection varies a lot by store. For new books, Kinokuniya in Shinjuku has a whole floor of English titles, mostly mainstream fiction and nonfiction. If you're after something more niche, check out the foreign book section at Maruzen in Nihonbashi, it's pricier but they carry academic and specialty publishers you won't find elsewhere.
If you are in the Jimbocho area, there is a cluster of used bookstores that carry English titles. Kitazawa Shoten on Yasukuni-dori has a small but decent selection of used English literature and philosophy books, and they tend to be priced fairly. For new books, the Tsutaya in Ginza Six has a curated English section with lifestyle, art, and design books that you won't find at Kinokuniya. It is worth a trip if you are already in Ginza.
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.
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