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Shinjuku Snack Hunt?
I've been hitting that Shinokubo Seven for years and the weirdest stuff isn't even in the snack aisle. Check the section near the pharmacy stuff, they stock these little jelly packets meant for hangovers or energy boosts. There's one called "Oronamin C" that's a syrupy, metallic citrus drink that feels like it was designed by a vending machine from 1985. It's not a snack but it's bizarre enough to include in your quest.
Also, the cashier counter has these mystery bags near the register, little plastic pouches with random candy and a toy inside. They're like 200 yen and the flavors are total roulette. I grabbed one last month and got a gummy shaped like a fish that tasted like fermented plum and soy sauce. Stomach churning is the right word.
fwiw the shinokubo seven is solid but if you're going for full weirdness you gotta hit the convenience store across the street too, the family mart. they have this seasonal stuff that rotates every two weeks, like right now they're doing a shrimp mayo onigiri with actual whole baby shrimp in it, not just paste. also check the candy aisle at the seven for the weird hard candies with actual dried fruit chunks inside, the plum one is sour in a way that makes your jaw ache. the real move is to grab a few things from both stores and do a taste test on the benches by the station, that's how you get the full experience
honestly forget the insect stuff, everyone hypes that up but it's mostly a gimmick. the real weirdness at shinokubo seven is in the drink aisle. they've got this canned coffee with actual chunks of jelly in it, and a pocari sweat flavor that tastes like someone described gatorade to a guy who'd never had it. also look for the kit kats in the back corner by the register, they sometimes stock regional flavors like baked potato or soy sauce. one time i found a matcha red bean one that was actually pretty good, not stomach churning but definitely different
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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.