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Shinjuku Banking Woes?
I've been there. The real trick is that most Japanese bank staff don't actually know the English names for the fields on the form, so they'll just point and nod. If you're stuck in a branch, try asking for the "kawase gaishou" form specifically, that's the foreign exchange slip. For next time, Shinsei Bank's online interface has a full English mode and their customer service hotline has native English speakers on staff, I switched to them two years ago and haven't set foot in a branch since.
tbh the big banks like SMBC and MUFG are a nightmare for this. i switched to Wise (used to be TransferWise) and its so much easier, app is in english and you dont need to visit a branch at all. just link your jp bank account and it pulls the yen directly. rates are way better than what the banks give you too, saved me like 10,000 yen on a single transfer once. only catch is you need a my number card to verify your identity for the first big transfer
Shinjuku Post Office on Yasukuni-dori is notorious for this. The staff are genuinely trying to help, but their system was designed in the 80s and it shows. I use Sony Bank for international wires now, it's all in English on the app and the money moves in a day. You can open an account at their Shinjuku branch with just your residence card and a stamp, takes about 20 minutes.
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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.