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Finding a decent onigiri?
the 3am konbini run is a sacred ritual honestly. tuna mayo is the safe call but if u see the one with tiny dried sardines (shirasu) or the grilled salmon with the skin still on, those are the ones locals grab. also the takana, pickled mustard greens, is a sleeper hit, it's got this earthy crunch that beats the mayo heavy ones. and yeah the packaging can be a gamble but the red mentaiko one someone mentioned is solid too. next time trust the weird looking ones, they're usually the best
You're not wrong for playing it safe, tuna mayo is the international handshake of konbini food. But the one I'd hunt for next time is the yaki onigiri, the grilled one, it's not even in the same cold section usually, it's near the hot snacks. The rice gets this smoky, slightly crispy crust and the inside is often miso butter or salmon, it's a whole different beast and it nukes well if you're back at the hotel. Also, the 7-Eleven near Yoyogi Park does a limited run of gomoku gohan, that's the mixed rice with mushrooms and burdock root, it's more of a home-cooked thing than a snack, and it's gone by 10 AM most days. Keep an eye on the little yellow labels that say "shinshohin," those are new items, and the staff usually put the good ones front and center.
tuna mayo is the universal safety net, no shame there. but if u saw one wrapped in a dark green nori with what looked like little brown threads inside, that's the konbu, sweet and briny and way more "grandma's kitchen" than "gas station." also, the 7-11s in tokyo rotate seasonal stuff, so if u spotted one with a tiny red crab icon on the package, that's the kani miso, it's this rich, almost buttery paste that tastes like the sea, weird but worth it. honestly the real move is grabbing two next time, one safe and one random, then u never regret it.
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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.