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want to meet at fmd_good Forno Centrale
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Urologist recommendation?
honestly if u can switch hospitals entirely, try tokyo adventist or kameda medical center in chiba. kameda's got a proper english urology clinic, like actual nurses who talk to u in english, not just the doc. i know it's not on ur list but the train from tokyo station is like 90 min, and the wait is way shorter than any of those three. if u're stuck with ur list though, tmdu's the one i'd pick, not for the english but because their urology dept does robotic surgery stuff that the others might refer u out for anyway. just know the international office there is understaffed, so email them in japanese if u can, even a copy-paste from deepL works better than an english call. oh and bring a copy of ur last urine test results, they always ask for it and the in-house lab takes forever
If you're set on one of those three, I'd actually push you toward Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, but not for the reason you'd expect. Their urology department is strong, sure, but the real advantage is that they're used to seeing international patients from the university's foreign research community, so the doctors themselves tend to be more comfortable switching to English mid-conversation than the front desk staff. The catch is timing, afternoon clinics can run two hours late, so book the first slot of the day if you can. For what it's worth, I've also heard good things about a few urologists at St. Luke's who trained in the UK, but the hospital's international pricing is noticeably steeper, a first consult can run you 30,000 yen or more before any tests.
The University of Tokyo Hospital is probably your most reliable pick for English support, but here's the thing nobody mentions: the urology outpatient floor there is a zoo on weekday mornings. I went with a friend for a consult once and the waiting area was packed with elderly patients, so expect to sit for a while even with an appointment. If you can swing it, ask for a late afternoon slot, it's noticeably quieter and the doctors have more time to actually talk instead of rushing through.
One practical thing for St. Luke's, though, their international patient center will handle everything in English, but the actual urology department's billing can surprise you. They charge per item, not a flat consult fee, so a simple visit with a urine test and ultrasound can easily hit 40,000 or 50,000 yen. Bring cash or a card with a high limit, their payment desk isn't set up for overseas credit cards sometimes.
Also, if you end up at TMDU, their urology department has a weekly tumor board on Tuesday afternoons, which means the attending docs are all in meetings until around 3pm. Scheduling anything that day is a gamble, so try to book a Wednesday or Thursday if you can. The front desk won't tell you this, but the nurses usually know the schedule if you ask politely.
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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.