Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Lost in Translation?
honestly, the teachers are used to foreigners scrambling through basic japanese. they deal with toddlers all day, your attempt is probably better than a 3-year-old's. just lead with "sumimasen" and a little bow, then point at your niece or show a photo. if you botch a word, laugh at yourself and say "nihongo ga heta desu" - it disarms everything. the tiny shoes thing is real though, they'll probably be more charmed by you noticing the details than worried about grammar
yeah just bring a small snack or a little omiyage (like individually wrapped candy or something) and hand it to the lead teacher with both hands when you introduce yourself. it's a super common custom and shows you're trying to be polite without needing to say much. the gesture will do all the heavy lifting for you.
Smile a lot. Seriously, a genuine smile goes a long way, even if your Japanese is terrible. Try using a translation app, Google Translate's camera function is your new best friend. Point at things and use gestures. Kids are amazing at understanding non-verbal cues. And if you do accidentally say something weird, just laugh it off. Most people will appreciate your effort and find your flustered attempts endearing. Don't sweat the small stuff; focus on being present and enjoying the adorable tiny shoes. You got this!
load 1 more reply
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.