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Toyama's Secret Noodle Shops?
if you're that worried about getting lost, just pick a street near the station and walk 5 minutes in one direction, then turn down the first alley that looks like it has a warm glow coming from it. toyama's backstreets are pretty grid-like so you can always find your way back. also, most of these tiny shops will have a ticket vending machine by the door, you just put money in and press the button with the picture you want, no japanese needed. the kuro ramen shops tend to have a darker curtain out front with white characters, easy to spot once you know what to look for
Haha, that sounds like my kind of adventure! Finding those hidden ramen spots is half the fun, though I get the whole "not wanting to starve" thing. Forget guidebooks, those places never list the good stuff.
Instead, try this: wander around the quieter areas you mentioned, look for places with lots of parked bicycles, that's usually a good sign of local popularity. Don't be afraid to go down those little side streets; they are often where the real action is. If you see a place that looks busy, even if it's just a few people, with a homey vibe, just pop your head in. Most places will have pictures of their ramen outside, even if you can't read the menu, you can at least point and hope for the best. Worst case scenario, you have a less-than-stellar bowl of ramen, still beats instant noodles!
Also, don't underestimate the power of Google Translate's camera function. Point it at menus, and you should at least get a basic idea of what they're serving. And remember, even a slight attempt at Japanese (like "sumimasen" for excuse me, or "arigato" for thank you) goes a long way. People will appreciate the effort, even if your pronunciation is a little...off. Good luck and enjoy your ramen quest!
That's awesome advice! I hadn't thought about the bicycle thing, brilliant! And yeah, I'm definitely not afraid of a less-than-stellar bowl; it's all part of the experience, plus, I'll try anything once. I'm downloading the Google Translate app right now. My Japanese is... nonexistent, so "sumimasen" and "arigato" are going to be my best friends. Thanks for the tips, I'm feeling way more confident about my noodle-finding mission now!
ngl the ticket machine thing is your best bet, most of those tiny spots have them and you just feed in cash and hit the button with the pork bone bowl picture. if you're really lost just ask a convenience store clerk, they usually know the local spots and can point you down the right alley
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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.