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want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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Can we own a car jointly in Japan?
another thing to keep in mind is the road tax (jidosha zei) which is annual and tied to the registered owner. if you split costs unevenly or someone bails, that bill still falls on the person whose name is on the papers. also the parking certificate (shako shomeisho) is a pain if you're all in different wards, since it needs to match the owner's address
for the insurance angle, some gaijin-friendly insurers like tokio marine or mitsui sumitomo will let you add multiple drivers as "limited family members" even if you're not related, just ask specifically for that. it's cheaper than the all-drivers policy but still covers everyone who's regularly driving
The one-person-owner approach is definitely the path of least resistance, but there's a practical detail people often miss: the shaken inspection. If the registered owner moves abroad or loses their visa status, you can't transfer the car or renew the shaken without them physically present with their juminhyo and inkan. I've seen groups get stuck with a car they can't legally drive because the owner had to go back home suddenly.
For the insurance angle, look into a policy that covers "all drivers" (全ての運転者) rather than listing names. It's a bit pricier but saves the headache of updating the policy every time someone new wants to drive or someone's license expires. Just watch out for the age restrictions on those policies, some won't cover drivers under 25 or over 70 without a surcharge.
you can buy a car under one person's name and share it, that's the most common setup here. joint ownership on the shakei (vehicle registration) is technically possible but a headache when it comes to insurance claims or selling it later.
for insurance, the owner gets the compulsory jibaiseki, and then you add a voluntary policy that covers "any driver" or "specified drivers" with a list. just make sure everyone who drives is listed or you get a policy that covers permissive use, otherwise claims get denied.
honestly the simplest way is one person buys it, everyone chips in for upkeep and gas, and you all get added as named drivers on the insurance. just be clear about who pays if someone gets a ticket or dings a curb
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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