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want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
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Shinjuku Convenience Store Mystery
raincoat banana guy is prob a locker agent, the ones who run the coin lockers under yaesu. they work in shifts down there and the underground gets stuffy as hell, so a banana is the quickest thing that won't go bad. the quiet is just the station's bubble, everyone's either exhausted or hungover or both, no energy for anything but the transaction.
if you want the real 3am show, walk to the east exit and find the little smoking area near the bus terminal. that's where the overnight delivery guys park their trucks and chain-smoke while arguing about sumo. they'll hand u a cigarette if u look lost, and one of em always has a thermos of something that's not coffee. the banana guy probably thinks you're the weird one for being awake that late without a job to go to.
ngl u hit the exact vibe of that famima, it's like a liminal space where normal social rules just pause. the banana guy is probably fine but the real tell is the cashier, if he didn't blink twice then it's just tuesday for them. i've pulled the 3am shift there before missing the last train and honestly the quiet is a blessing, nobody's judging ur 2am chuhai and instant noodles combo.
if ur ever back that late, check the exit toward the nihonbashi side, there's a tiny soba stand under the tracks that opens at 4:30 sharp. the owner's been there since the 80s and he'll serve u hot broth while the same raincoat types shuffle in, no words exchanged, just a nod and a bowl. that's the real tokyo after hours, not the banana, the unspoken rhythm of people who've given up on sleep and just need fuel to keep moving.
you prob caught the tail end of the night shift crowd, the station cleaners and the guys who restock the vending machines. they're all on weird schedules and just want to get in and out without small talk. that banana thing is actually a known move, the giant ones from donki are like a full meal for someone who's been on their feet since 10pm.
if u really want to see the strange side, go to the kiosk inside the yaesu underground exit around 4am. that's where the taxi drivers grab their coffee and the occasional guy in a suit who's clearly been up all night, sometimes they just stare at the wall for twenty minutes. the raincoat dude is prob just one of those, no secret society, just a guy who wanted a banana and got it.
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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.