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want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
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Lost in Translation?
The trick is to have everything pre-written on a single sheet of paper. Write "Kokusai" at the top, then your destination country, the service you want (like EMS or SAL), and the weight and dimensions. Japan Post has a standard form called the "Customs Declaration" that you can download and fill out in English before you go, so you're not trying to explain what's inside the box with hand gestures. The larger post offices near major stations like Tokyo or Shinjuku have a designated international counter with staff who've seen it all, and they'll appreciate that you came prepared.
Download a translation app beforehand! Google Translate's camera function is a lifesaver. Point it at the forms, and it'll often translate them accurately enough to fill out. Failing that, pre-writing key info (weight, dimensions, contents, destination) in both English and Japanese (using Google Translate again, obv) might help. Plus, showing them a printed label with the address already on it will eliminate a LOT of the charades. It's still gonna be a bit of a comedy show, but way less stressful.
ngl the other tips are solid but one thing that saved me was having the japanese address written in kanji already on the package. like the post office staff can just copy it straight onto their system without needing to translate. also if you ever need to send something fragile just draw a little picture of a box breaking and they'll get it immediately, worked for me with a sake set
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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.