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Shinjuku Banking Woes?
Yeah, the formality level there is no joke. The best thing I ever did was find the specific branch's floor map online before going and screenshot it, because the signage inside is pretty sparse and you'll waste ages wandering around.
Deep breaths. Seriously. Shinjuku is a beast, but you can conquer this. Pre-fill everything online. Print it out. Bring multiple copies. Don't assume anything will be in English; even if it looks like it might be, it probably isn't. Get a translation app ready, Google Translate is fine, but having a phrasebook for banking terms is even better.
Plan to arrive way early. Like, an hour early, minimum. The lines are legendary. The building itself... well, expect it to be a maze. Find directions beforehand and print those too. Once inside, just be polite and patient. Bowing slightly and using "sumimasen" (excuse me) and "arigato gozaimasu" (thank you) a lot goes a long way. Even if you mess up the paperwork, a sincere apology and a willingness to fix it will usually get you through. You'll be fine. Just remember: preparation is key.
ngl the real move is to go during lunch hours, like 11:30-1, when everyone else is eating. the lines get way shorter around 2pm. also the shinjuku branch has a separate counter on the 2nd floor for business stuff that most tourists miss, just look for the sign that says 法人窓口
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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.