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Lost in Translation?
honestly the lunch thing is easier than you think. most school cafeterias here have a daily set menu that's posted on a board with pictures, so just point at the one that looks safe. if you're really worried, pack a onigiri or two from FamilyMart in the morning, every konbini has them for like 150 yen and they're labeled in english too.
for making friends, just ask people about their hobbies in super broken japanese. like "soccer suki?" or "anime suki?" they'll prob correct your grammar and that's actually how conversations start. also if you're into any sports or clubs, joining a practice session after school is the fastest way to connect, even if you just watch at first.
one thing nobody told me is that teachers here are super patient with foreigners. if you get lost between classes just show them your schedule and they'll walk you to the right room. the school might also have a "buddy system" where another student is assigned to help you, so lean on that.
The picky eater thing is real, but school lunch here isn't a mystery box. Most Japanese school lunches are a balanced meal with rice, a main dish, and soup, and they're usually pretty mild. If you're at a public school, you might not even have a choice, it's just what's served that day, but they'll have a sample tray out front so you can see exactly what you're getting before you pay.
For making friends, skip the generic "hobbies" question and just eavesdrop a little. If you hear someone talking about a band you like or a video game, pipe up with "sore, suki!" (I like that too). It's way more natural than a forced conversation starter. Also, bring a small pack of your local gum or candy and offer it around during class break, it's a universal icebreaker that doesn't require much Japanese.
Oh the lunch thing, just watch what the kids ahead of you in line grab and copy them. For friends, bring snacks from your home country and share them during breaks, everyone loves free foreign candy.
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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