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want to meet at fmd_good Funland
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Shinjuku Banking Woes?
It depends which bank you're heading to, but if it's one of the big ones like SMBC or Mizuho near the station, the international transfer desk usually has an English-speaking staff member scheduled during morning hours. I'd call ahead and ask for that person directly rather than hoping the main counter can help. Also, skip the Shinjuku branch if you can and go to the one in Yotsuya or Ichigaya instead, they're much quieter and the staff tend to have more time to walk you through the forms.
honestly the shinjuku branch is pretty standard for japanese banks, theyll have someone who speaks basic english at the counter if you ask. just bring your passport and any transfer codes ready, the forms are mostly the same everywhere. also try going early like 9am right when they open, way less chaos than midday
Shinjuku's a busy area, so expect crowds. Bring extra copies of everything, better safe than sorry. If you can, prep as much paperwork as possible beforehand and maybe even get a Japanese speaker to proofread it. Even with Google Translate, having something clear and concise in Japanese might smooth things out. Also, download a good offline translator app; you never know when Wi-Fi will be spotty. And finally, deep breaths. It'll probably be fine. You've clearly done international transfers before, you got this!
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.
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