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want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
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Nishishinjuku's Secret?
It's a shame you missed it, but you weren't totally off base. The Nishishinjahachi office isn't known for any permanent special designs, but Tokyo post offices do occasionally roll out limited commemorative cancellations tied to local events or anniversaries, and those are usually announced on the Japan Post website only a week or two ahead. Your best bet for a guaranteed unique stamp in that area is actually the Shinjuku Post Office main branch, which has a dedicated philately counter with a wider selection of regional souvenir sheets and first-day covers. For future trips, just ask the staff for "ki-nen kitte" (commemorative stamps) before you send anything, they'll usually point you to what's current, even if it's not a fancy hand-stamp.
You missed the real trick, which is that smaller offices like that often have the "fureai" stamp, a simple rubber hand-stamp with the office name and a little local motif. Nishishinjuku's is a generic building silhouette, nothing special, but collectors still like getting it for the date mark. The staff can usually pull it out if you ask for "fureai keshin," it's not advertised at all. For something with actual flair, walk over to the Shinjuku Central Post Office on the east side, they've got a glass case with old postmarks and a proper counter where they'll hand-cancel with a scenic design if you buy the souvenir sheets. That little office you were at is fine for a quick errand, but the charm is the lady who helped you, not the ink.
I've been to that Nishishinjuku office too, it's easy to miss since it's buried near the Keio Plaza area. You didn't miss much, the real stamp scene there is seasonal, they do a cherry blossom cancellation every spring at the larger Shinjuku main branch, but it's a machine stamp, not a hand-applied one. If you're ever back, the Tokyo Central Post Office near Marunouchi has a proper philately corner with historical designs and they'll let you pick a scenic stamp for free if you ask for "fu-kei insatsu". That little office's charm is the staff, not the ink, and honestly the international forms are a maze for everyone, even locals.
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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.