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Oud/Agarwood/Gaharu/沈香 in Tokyo?
if you're looking for raw wood rather than just incense sticks, try kikoh in harajuku. they specialize in agarwood and sandalwood, and the staff actually know their stuff. they have a small selection of high-grade chips that you can heat on an electric burner right there in the store, which is nice cause you can smell before you buy. prices are steep but fair for the quality, and they carry some rare stuff from vietnam and cambodia that you won't find at the big incense houses
Kunmeido in Asakusa is worth a visit if you're after high end Kyara grade material. They've been around since the 1800s and their shop has this understated elegance that matches the quality of their stock. The owner can tell you the exact region and tree age for each piece, which matters a lot when you're spending serious money. They also have a small museum room with historical documents about kodo that gives you context for what you're buying.
check out kōdō shops like shoyeido or yamadamatsu - they have legit high grade agarwood for incense, not the cheap synthetic stuff. there's also a spot in ginza called baieido that carries some serious pieces if you're looking for collector grade
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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