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Lost in Matsunoki's Charm?
just follow the train tracks, honestly. they run parallel to the main shopping street and you can always see the station from most points in the neighborhood. if you lose your bearings, head toward the tracks and you'll hit something familiar within 5 minutes. the real hidden spots are in the residential blocks east of the station, there's a tiny standing soba place tucked between two houses that doesn't even have a sign, just a noren curtain. most tourists never find it cause they stick to the west side
honestly, if you're really worried about getting lost just pick a landmark and orbit around it. the sento near the 7-11 on the main drag has a weird orange chimney you can see from pretty far, use that as your north star. the side streets west of the station are where the good stuff is but they curve around weirdly, it's not a perfect grid like the other person said
fwiw i'd skip the main roads entirely after you've seen them once. the little alley behind the post office has a bakery that only does melon pan and they sell out by 10am, that's the kinda spot you'd miss if you stuck to the safe routes. just keep your phone charged and you'll be fine, matsu is small enough that you can't really wander more than 15 minutes from the station without hitting something familiar
Matsu is actually quite small and laid out in a grid near the station, so it's harder to get truly lost than you'd think. The real charm is in the backstreets west of the station, where there are a few old shokudo and a tiny jazz kissa that's been there since the 70s. If you're worried about time, set a two-hour rule: wander wherever you want for that long, then use your phone to navigate back to the station. You'll hit the hidden spots without sacrificing your whole afternoon.
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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.