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Should I bother getting a driver's license?
i mean, the real question is whether you'll ever drive a car abroad, like on a trip to hokkaido or okinawa. those places are way better with a rental, and you'd kick yourself if you had to skip it. driving school here is a slog though, like 3 months of your weekends gone, so don't do it unless you're committed.
that said, you don't need to "keep in practice" like people think. once you've got it, it's a card in your wallet. rent a car once a year for a weekend and you'll be fine, honestly the muscle memory comes back fast. the bigger pain is the renewal, which is a half day at the license center in fuchu or samezu, and the eye test is a joke.
if you're not planning any road trips or a move to the burbs, skip it. but if you've got even a small itch to explore japan beyond the train lines, just do it now. the price only goes up, and your free time won't get more abundant.
If you're planning to stay in Tokyo long term, a license is more of a convenience than a necessity, but it's not a waste. The bigger issue is that driving schools here are pricey, often 300,000 to 400,000 yen for a standard course, and the renewal process every few years involves a trip to the police station and a fee, even if you never drive. Since you haven't driven in a decade, you'd basically be starting from scratch, and without a car, practice is tricky. That said, you can rent a kei car for a day every few months through Times Car or a similar service, just to keep your hand in, and it's honestly a decent way to see places like Chiba or the Izu Peninsula that are a pain by train. If you think you'll ever need to drive for work, or if you might move to a suburban area later, getting it now while you have the time is smarter than scrambling later. But if you're certain you'll stay central and car-free, the money is better spent on a nice trip.
honestly, you're overthinking this. if you've survived ten years without driving in Tokyo, you clearly don't need it. the only real reason to bother is if you're planning on leaving the city someday, and even then, a license from back home would've been easier to convert than
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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