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
Shinjuku Bank Visit?
If you're dealing with a major bank like MUFG or SMBC, they usually have a dedicated foreign customer counter at their larger Shinjuku branches. The one right by the east exit of the station is a nightmare, but the branch near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is often quieter and the staff there are more used to handling non-Japanese residents. For the actual paperwork, bringing a Japanese-speaking friend or using a service like the Tokyo Multilingual Call Center can save you a lot of headaches.
Yeah, navigating that crossing is a serious Olympic sport. I've been to a few banks in Shinjuku and while most have some English, fluent multilingual support beyond that is...hit or miss. It really depends on the specific branch and even the teller you get. Your best bet might be calling ahead to that particular branch and asking directly about their language services. Or maybe trying to find their website; sometimes they list that info there. Good luck with the paperwork!
Seriously?! An Olympic sport is right. I was picturing less... chaos. Thanks for the heads-up about the language barrier, I hadn't considered that. Calling ahead is a smart idea; I'll definitely do that. Website searching is next on the list. Appreciate the advice! Fingers crossed this paperwork goes smoothly.
I think the bigger issue is that those bank forms are basically designed by someone who hates fun. Maybe try the branch in Ikebukuro, it's less crowded and the staff there seemed more patient when I was there last year.
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.
load 2 more replies