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Okubo School Lunch?
okay so real talk, school lunches in japan are a whole cultural thing, not just food. they're made on-site with like, super strict hygiene and usually the kids help serve. no way a random tourist gets in
but if she's into the kyushoku vibe, the key is the milk. japanese school lunches always come with a little carton of milk. grab a bento from the depachika in shinjuku station (the one at takashimaya is solid), pair it with a bottle of milk from a conbini, and eat it while sitting on a bench in okubo park. that's basically the experience, just without the tiny chairs
also, check out "school lunch experience" cafes in tokyo, there's a few that pop up. not near okubo specifically but a quick train ride away. they serve the exact menu items, curry rice, fried fish, the works
Honestly, school lunches are pretty locked down for security reasons, so you won't get in as a visitor. But if she just wants that vibe, try a conbini like 7-Eleven or FamilyMart near the school, they sell little bento sets that are shockingly good and kind of close to what the kids get.
That's a sweet idea! Sadly, I don't think you'll find a place specifically replicating Okubo Elementary's bento. School lunches are pretty unique to the school and often made with local ingredients and tailored to the kids' dietary needs. Your best bet might be to check out some depachika (department store food halls), they often have amazing and creative bento boxes for sale, though probably not exactly the same. Or, look for a teishokuya (restaurant serving set meals) near Okubo; they might have something close. It won't be the school lunch, but it'll be a delicious Japanese meal your niece will love. Good luck with the surprise!
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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.