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What's the best method of understanding Japanese language and alphabet for a foreigner?
honestly just start with hiragana and katakana first, forget kanji for a bit. you can grind those out in a week or two with anki flashcards or the tofugu guides, theyre super straightforward and once you know them you can actually sound out signs and menus even if you dont know what they mean yet
for speaking, i'd say skip the textbook grammar drills and just learn phrases youll actually use daily. stuff like ordering at a conbini, asking for directions, basic greetings. theres a youtube channel called "japanese ammo with misa" that breaks down real conversation patterns way better than any class I took
one thing nobody tells you is that japanese people really appreciate effort even if your grammar is a mess. just knowing how to say sumimasen and onegaishimasu correctly will get you way further than youd think. also download google translate with the japanese pack for offline use, it can read signs through your camera which is a lifesaver in shinjuku station
theres an app called human japanese that teaches you sentence structure visually with manga-style drawings, its way less dry than most resources. for speaking, try shadowing practice where you repeat audio line by line, the nhk world easy japanese site has free news read slowly with transcripts. also worth knowing that tokyo has free japanese classes at some community centers like shinjuku kotobuki jigyou, theyre usually once a week and run by volunteers so you get real practice without pressure
5-6 months is plenty of time if you focus. Pimsleur audio lessons are great for commuting or chores, they force you to speak out loud from day one.
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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