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Lost in Matsunoki?
the konbini clerk tip is solid, but honestly the best way is to just pick a direction from the station and walk until you hit a dead end, then turn around. Matsunoki's got that grid that looks random but loops back on itself, so you're never more than 15 min from the tracks. if u want a specific target, head for the old persimmon tree behind the community hall, there's a tiny shrine tucked under it that's not on any map, locals leave omikuji there tied to the branches.
for ramen, the blue curtain place is good but the real sleeper is the yatai cart that sets up near the bus stop on friday nights, only does tonkotsu and sells out by 8pm. if u see a guy with a white towel on his head stirring a huge pot, that's him. and yeah, the straw hat old man loop is real, he walks the same route every evening, just follow him for like 10 min and u'll see the back alley with the lanterns, that's where the little izakaya with the cat that sleeps on the counter is.
honestly, Matsunoki isn't that big, so getting "lost" is more of a fun detour than a real problem. the trick is to just follow the sound of the taiko drums if you're there on a weekend, the local shrine does a tiny morning matsuri that most tourists skip. for ramen, skip the ones on the main drag and look for a shop called "Kuro" near the post office, it's got a red noren curtain and only 6 seats, the shoyu is killer.
as for navigation, forget Google Maps for the small alleys, it's useless. just use the train tracks as your anchor, Matsunoki station is the southern end, so if you walk north and keep the tracks to your left, you can't really get stuck. also, the konbini clerk at the Seven near the station is super friendly, ask them for the "kamisama map", it's this old hand-drawn thing they keep behind the counter, not on any app.
another tip, the offline maps app citymapper works way better than google for the small streets, it has the little footpaths marked. and if u see a blue mailbox with a cat painted on it, you're on the right track to the old bathhouse, they turned it into a tiny soba place, no sign outside just the smell of broth
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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.