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want to meet at fmd_good Vintage Avenue
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Shinjuku Banking Blues
honestly the Mizuho Shinjuku Chuo branch is one of the busiest in the area, so go right when they open at 9am or you'll be waiting in line forever. the secret weapon is actually the atm lobby kiosk for account openings, some branches have english on the screen but not all, so ask the greeter if they have a "yokoso" counter for foreigners. the tellers are fine but they rotate a lot so no point hunting for a specific one, just pray you get someone under 40 who's used to dealing with gaijin. pack light cause you'll be filling out forms standing up at those little desks, and bring your residence card + hanko if you have one, they still ask for it sometimes even though digital signatures exist now
Bring ALL the paperwork. Seriously, gather everything. Copies of everything. Better to have too much than too little. The translator app is a great idea, but be prepared to fill out forms yourself, even with it. Japanese bank forms are... unique. Don't expect any magic forms or helpful tellers; efficiency isn't always their strong suit. Go early, before the rush, and be prepared to spend a good chunk of the morning there. Maybe pack snacks? Good luck! You'll survive. It's just paperwork; you've conquered far worse, right?
ngl you're overthinking it a bit. the main thing that trips people up is they don't realize Mizuho wants a registered seal (hanko) for the account, even at the Shinjuku Chuo branch. if you don't have one, there's a little shop across from the east exit of Shinjuku station, near the Lumine building, that does same-day hanko engraving for like 1500 yen. bring your residence card and a phone number that actually works (they'll call to verify). the forms are all in japanese but the staff at the foreigner counter on the 2nd floor are used to walking people through it line by line, just point and they'll help.
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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.