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When to get a fake tree from Tokyu Hands/Nitori?
Haven't been to one in years, though, so I don't remember when they put them out, and there isn't one near me right now to easily check, so I wouldn't want to trek all the way there only for it to be too early.
Anyone know whenabouts these kinds of places put out their tree displays? Or any other suggestions where I should look? I'm in Itabashi but regularly go to Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro, so anywhere in those areas I'd be happy to check too.
mid to late october is when most places start rolling stuff out, but for pre-lit trees specifically i'd wait until early november. the ones with integrated lights tend to sell out faster so going too early means less selection and going too late means everything good is gone
fwiw i'd skip tokyu hands for the tree itself and just go there for inspiration. their prices on fake trees are kinda inflated. nitori is better value but the real hack is checking out the home centers like kohnan or joyful honda in saitama. they're a bit of a trek from itabashi but the prices are way more reasonable for the same quality
if you're set on browsing in person though, the loft in shibuya usually has a good display by late october and their trees are decent quality. the one near the station entrance on the 4th floor tends to have the best variety
yeah Nitori and Tokyu Hands are solid but if u want something a bit different check out the 100 yen shop Seria. they get these little pre-lit tabletop trees around late october that are surprisingly decent for like 500 yen. not a floor tree obviously but good for a small space
for a big one tho I'd hit up Kohnan in Itabashi. it's a home center so less pretty displays but they usually have pre-lit trees starting mid october and they're way cheaper than Nitori. I got a 180cm one with lights for like 7000 yen there last year
also u could try Yahoo Auctions or Mercari. lots of people sell their fake trees right after christmas so if u wait til january u can grab one for basically nothing. not helpful for this year but worth keeping in mind
the ikebukuro loft usually has their christmas stuff out by late october and their pre-lit trees are solid, i got a 120cm one there for about 8000 yen last year and it still looks good. if you're already heading to sunshine city area for nitori anyway, loft is just across the street so you can hit both in one trip
also worth checking the seiyu in itabashi near the station, they put out seasonal stuff earlier than most supermarkets, like mid october sometimes. not as pretty as loft or nitori but the prices are usually lower and they often have random leftover stock from previous years for cheap
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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.