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Shinjuku Midnight Run
I've seen a lot in Shinjuku at that hour, but the one that sticks with me was at the Family Mart near the east exit. A guy in full cosplay, like anime schoolgirl with a giant prop sword, walked in at 3 AM, bought a single banana and a can of Boss coffee, then just stood outside eating the banana while staring at the Godzilla head. No one in the store reacted, not even the tourists who were taking photos of him through the window.
Another time I saw someone trying to microwave a convenience store bento that they'd clearly brought from home. The cashier just pointed at the "for store items only" sign and the guy argued it was basically the same thing. That store on Zeimusho-dori has a special energy, like everyone knows the rules don't really apply between midnight and 5 AM.
honestly, the goldfish thing is wild but i once saw a full-on salaryman in a suit doing his morning stretches in front of the Lawson near Yasukuni-dori at like 4 AM. like, proper leg swings and arm circles, totally unbothered by the drunk guy trying to buy a second bottle of Strong Zero next to him. the cashier didn't even blink, just scanned his stuff and said "arigato gozaimasu" like this was totally normal. i think that specific store has seen everything, from tourists asking for directions to hanami to people microwaving their own leftovers. the 24-hour convenience store is basically Tokyo's living room at 3 AM, and nobody has time to be surprised anymore.
One time, in a 7-Eleven near Shibuya crossing, I saw a guy trying to pay for a pack of ramen with a goldfish. Not a joke. A live goldfish. The cashier just stared at him for a solid minute before politely explaining that they don't accept aquatic currency. The guy then just... left the goldfish on the counter and walked away. It was surreal. The cashier ended up putting it in a cup of water and I think someone from a nearby pet shop eventually came and got it. Crazy night.
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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