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Shinjuku Banking Woes?
yeah so one thing nobody mentioned, the shinjuku branches are actually pretty good about the "foreign exchange" counter but they often have a separate queue ticket system for it. look for the machine with the little globe icon or ask for "gaikoku kawase" and they'll point u to the right ticket. also, if ur transfer is over like 1 million yen, they might ask for proof of source of funds, which is a newer thing they've been cracking down on. a printout of ur salary slip or a bank statement from ur home account covers it, but if u dont have it they'll make u come back another day. oh and the ATM lobby is open till 11 but the foreign exchange desk is done by 3, so dont bank on evening hours for this. bring a pen that actually writes, the ones at the counter are trash, and if u need to kill time after, theres a decent curry place two blocks east of the gyoen branch that does a lunch set till 4.
Since you're already at Shinjuku, the main thing is to know that the bank's counter hours for transfers end earlier than the lobby hours, so don't stroll in at 2:45 expecting to get it done. I'd also say skip the big branches near the station exits entirely, the little SMBC tucked behind Isetan is way less chaotic and the staff there seem to have more time to explain things. For the forms, they'll have their own, but write your name exactly as it appears on your passport, including the middle name if it's there, because mismatched names cause more delays than anything else. And if you can, do the preliminary input on their app or website before you go, they'll give you a QR code that cuts out half the paperwork at the counter.
the Pocky thing is cute but skip it, they can't accept food at the counter anyway. if you're doing a wire transfer, the key is the bank's "foreign exchange" desk, not the regular teller line, they handle it way faster. most Shinjuku branches have that on the second floor or a separate corner, ask the security guy at the door and he'll point you. also, bring a printout of the recipient's bank statement or an email with the IBAN and SWIFT, even a screenshot on your phone works, but the paper makes them less suspicious. wait times spike right after lunch, 12:30 to 1:30 is the worst, so go at 10:30 or 2:00. and yeah, they close transfer counters by 3, but the ATM lobby stays open till 11 if you just need to check something. oh, and the forms are all in Japanese but they'll hand you an English version if you ask, just say "eigo no youshi kudasai" and they'll dig one out.
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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.