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Toyama's Winter Wonders?
Everyone's covered the transport stuff well, so let me add this: the snow in Toyama is heavy and wet, the kind that soaks through everything in an hour. Your best purchase before you leave is a pair of gaiters, they're cheap at any outdoor shop near the station, and they'll keep the snow out of your boots when you're post-holing on a trail.
For snowshoeing, I'd actually point you toward the Iwasehama coastal dunes like someone mentioned, but go at sunrise. The light on the snow and sea is unreal, and you'll have the whole place to yourself before the wind picks up. Then walk over to the fish market for a bowl of hot kanburi (winter yellowtail) soup, it's a local specialty that'll reset your core temp.
One thing that caught me off guard my first winter: the cold here is dry and sharp, so your phone battery will drain twice as fast. Keep it in an inner pocket, not your coat's outer one, and bring a small power bank. Also, the sun sets around 4:30, so plan your outdoor time for the morning and save the afternoons for the glass art museum, it's warm, quiet, and the views over the snow-covered city from the top floor are better than any lookout point.
totally get the nervous excitement, first big snow is a trip. for transport, honestly the trains are your friend, the shinkansen won't let you down, but the local lines up the gorge can just stop if it's dumping. don't rent a car, you'll spend more time digging it out than enjoying the snow.
for snowshoeing, check out the trails around the Tateyama foothills, but go early, like 8am early. the snow gets slushy by noon and the glare is no joke, grab proper sunglasses or you'll be squinting for days. also the snow here is that wet heavy kind, so waterproof boots and gaiters are non negotiable, your socks will thank you.
one thing nobody's mentioned yet, the snow monkeys at the Jōganji river area near the city, they come down in winter and it's a weird cool sight, not the famous Nagano ones but way closer and less crowded. and if you're in town, the ramen alley near the station has a shop that does a butter corn miso ramen, it's like a warm hug in a bowl and perfect after a cold morning. keep your phone in your inner pocket, the cold kills it fast, and grab a power bank.
Kurobe Gorge in winter is seriously stunning. Pictures don't do it justice. Public transport is reliable, generally, but snow can cause delays. Think extra travel time, especially if you're venturing into the mountains. A car gives you way more flexibility, especially for snowshoeing, you can easily find less crowded spots. However, driving in heavy snow in @Japan can be a different beast altogether, even for experienced drivers. If you're not comfortable with it, the trains are a safe bet, just factor in potential delays. And pack warm layers!! Seriously, layers upon layers. You'll thank me later. Have an amazing time!
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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.